Riddles of the Heart
by Atlantian Magic
Summary: Tea Gardener is a young woman who knows who she is in the world but is careful about what she lets others see. Her heart realizes that she's not the only one who has secrets and his friendship could be her saving grace from from utter despair. Seto/Tea
1. Chapter 1

Riddles of the Heart written by Atlantis © 2002  
  
Alright, this here is my first attempt at Yu-Gi-Oh! fanfiction, so please try not to be *too* harsh. I tend to adore the kind of common idea that Seto and Tea would be a totally cute couple and therefore, they are who this story revolves around. I have taken quite a few creative licenses, so by no means whatsoever think that I am following the plotline of the show. There are also some things that are different that you'll notice right off the bat. But don't let that stop you. Just sit back, relax, and please enjoy!  
  
I have no claim whatsoever on the aforementioned show, please don't sue. I have no money and would plan something diabolical if I had to sell my CD's to pay off unnecessary debts.  
  
Rating: PG-13 (that's what all of my stories are for the most part. I enjoy my romance scenes, which probably won't be showing up until a little later in this fic - which is a multi-parter.)  
  
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If I could speak in any language in heaven or on earth but didn't love others, I would only be making meaningless noise like a loud gong or a clanging cymbal.  
  
If I had the gift of prophecy, and if I knew all the mysteries of the future and knew everything about everything, but didn't love others, what good would I be?  
  
And if I had the gift of faith so that I could speak to a mountain and make it move, without love I would be no good to anybody.  
  
1 Corinthians 13:1&2  
  
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PART 1  
  
She was rich. Incredibly so. More than qualified to be  
  
considered in his league. Unlike many others who lived the life  
  
of kings though, money was never a priority. Her friends and  
  
family filled that space instead. She loved them with every  
  
breath she took, keeping nothing of hers from them. Except her  
  
wealth. Her affluence was the only secret that she kept from her  
  
friends.  
  
They would never understand the enormous weight and  
  
responsibility resting on her shoulders because of the power she  
  
controlled. She and her parents understood that money was not  
  
everything. Her two younger sisters however, seemed to take it  
  
for granted. They always got what they wanted no questions asked.  
  
In Tea's opinion, they were spoiled rotten.  
  
But *he* didn't seem to be like that. Tea knew him, though  
  
she had never really spoken to him before. She didn't need to  
  
talk to him to know why he acted the way he did. He had all the  
  
money in the world and didn't seem happy, didn't feel complete.  
  
It didn't matter what he bought, how much his corporation was  
  
booming, or how hard he concentrated on Duel Monsters. That void  
  
would always be there, pitted deep inside him, empty and yearning  
  
to be filled.  
  
At least that's what she thought as she looked up from her  
  
computer screen, her fingers stilling on the keyboard as she  
  
tossed a glance over her right shoulder at Seto Kaiba. AP  
  
Computer Dynamics and Engineering was the only course she shared  
  
with the older, intriguing young man unfortunately. Her mind had  
  
tried numerous times to label him as an older boy, since he was  
  
only about two years older, but she refused to agree because it  
  
was entirely obvious that Seto Kaiba was no boy.  
  
With unsettling, cold blue eyes and short, dark brown hair,  
  
which, as Tea always noticed, was impeccably styled and roguishly  
  
sexy, Kaiba always seemed to radiate a magnetic aura. Every pair  
  
of eyes that found him in their line of vision unconsciously  
  
remained fixed on him until either that person or Kaiba himself  
  
left the area. He was power and control incarnate.  
  
Tea's eyes quickly regarded the rest of him, using both  
  
memory and her current sight of him to build a picture in her  
  
mind's eye. He stood at a good six-one or two easily and was  
  
built with a lean, muscular frame. His defined calves, thighs,  
  
stomach, and torso tended to escape the untrained eye, but she  
  
had been studying him a long time. It was apparent that he worked  
  
out. A lot.  
  
How she longed, in her fantasies, to be held by those strong  
  
arms, wrapping her own around his broad shoulders and tangling  
  
her fingers in the hair at the nape of his neck while being held  
  
impossibly close to his warm body. Tea quickly blinked and began  
  
to berate herself, shifting her attention from the object of her  
  
affection back to her computer screen.  
  
Yeah right, like that'd *ever* happen. In your dreams T  
  
Tea thought to herself. Only in your dreams.  
  
She nearly jumped when she felt a tap on her shoulder,  
  
jolting her from her private thoughts.  
  
"Hey Tea, you okay?" a classmate asked. Tea nodded, placed  
  
her fingers over the keyboard and began typing rapidly. "You  
  
know, we don't know each other all that much, but I'd like to be  
  
your friend. If you wanna talk, I'll be here, okay?" Again Tea  
  
nodded.  
  
"Thanks Nako. I appreciate that." Nako grinned and grabbed  
  
her book-bag as the bell rang, exiting all of her programs and  
  
returning her computer to the start-up screen. Tea followed suit,  
  
though a little slower, and was walking out of the classroom as  
  
she heard the musical tone of her cell phone. Reaching into her  
  
bag, she pulled the phone out and held it up to her ear.  
  
"Tea?" came an older voice, questioning.  
  
"Yes, this is she. Who's calling?" Tea stopped and stood by  
  
a pillar as Seto Kaiba walked by, looking at her with an  
  
analyzing gaze before striding down the hall with strong,  
  
confident steps.  
  
"How's my princess?" the voice replied, chuckling.  
  
"Daddy!" Tea screamed, a smile breaking over her face. "It's  
  
so good to hear your voice. Are you and mom still in England?"  
  
"We're just about to get on the plane. I just thought I'd  
  
call and let you know. How are you and your sisters doing?"  
  
"Same as always dad," Tea said, sighing as she leaned back  
  
against the pillar. "Arashi and Kiri are still as spoiled as  
  
ever, but at least they're cute every once-in-a-while. I turned  
  
in that huge report today and began my AP Computer Dynamics and  
  
Engineering final, but I couldn't exactly focus in class so I'm  
  
gonna go in at lunch and work on it then. Has mom taken her  
  
pills?"  
  
"Yeah, I made sure she took them right when she got up this  
  
morning. You know how she gets on planes. You'd think she'd get  
  
used to flying after having to go on an airplane at least once a  
  
month, but no, she has to be difficult," Tea's father chuckled.  
  
"Our flight is boarding now, princess. I'll talk to you later  
  
alright?"  
  
"Alright dad. Tell mom we send our love," Tea told him  
  
lightly. She heard him mumble an 'okay' before hearing a click  
  
and the dial tone ringing in her ear. Sighing, she put the phone  
  
back into her bag and began walking down the hallway to her next  
  
class.  
  
Good thing dad called at break, otherwise I would've been  
  
late to class. Mr. Fugimata's class is on the other side of  
  
campus! Tea thought, picking up the pace and moving past the  
  
students standing idly in the halls, chatting at their lockers  
  
and blocking the walkway. "What does a person have to do to get  
  
through this place?" she mumbled under her breath.  
  
"I agree," a voice beside her said in a struggled tone. Tea  
  
turned her head to find her dream guy struggling through the  
  
masses of students right along with her. "I feel like a salmon  
  
swimming upstream!" he vented, scowling and holding tighter to  
  
the two books in his arms. Biting her lip, Tea saw a small path  
  
open up and grabbed a hold of Kaiba's forearm, pulling him behind  
  
her through the tiny opening. When they reached an open pocket  
  
space, she nearly stumbled and fell, Kaiba's quick grab at her  
  
wrist saving her from a face-plant.  
  
Breathing out heavily, Tea blew her bangs up out of her eyes  
  
and straightened her skirt before making sure everything in her  
  
bag was still in place. She rolled her shoulders and closed her  
  
eyes for a moment, rolling her head to remove the stiffness.  
  
"Thanks for getting me out of there. I think I may have  
  
stayed there if you hadn't helped. You were in my last class  
  
weren't you?" Kaiba's voice questioned her from the side. Tea  
  
stilled. She hadn't realized he was still there. Looking up at  
  
him, she smiled and nodded. "I don't usually like to thank  
  
people for little things like that, but you really, literally  
  
pulled me out back there. What's your name?" the upperclassman  
  
asked, shifting his posture and looking directly at her. Tea felt  
  
her heart jump into her heart.  
  
"Tea."  
  
"No last name?" he questioned, a hint of mockery in his  
  
voice. "Just call me Tea," she replied cheerily. "You know Yugi  
  
Moto, right?"  
  
"Good lord, who doesn't? The guy is brilliant in Duel  
  
Monsters. I've played him a couple of times. He's quite a worthy  
  
opponent," Kaiba said, moving forward a bit and motioning with  
  
his head that they start walking.  
  
"I usually hang out with him and my friends Joey and  
  
Tristan. They're pretty great guys," Tea said conversationally.  
  
"I play against them occasionally, but I'm more interested in  
  
other things."  
  
"Such as?" Kaiba prodded. He watched as Tea gave him a look  
  
asking why he cared and nearly stopped dead in his tracks. Lord,  
  
she was beautiful! A perfect, entirely feminine body with soft,  
  
full curves; creamy skin; bright blue eyes that seemed to sparkle  
  
as though the stars resided in her gaze; red, pouty lips that  
  
were screaming to be kissed; and thick light brown hair that fell  
  
just below her shoulders. He didn't even want to get started on  
  
how good she looked in her uniform. Kaiba felt his face heat and  
  
turned away, shrugging.  
  
"Well, I love talking to people and being active. Sometimes  
  
I think I'm a little too active and then there's all of my class-  
  
work piled on top, but I deal. I love volleyball, swimming, and  
  
being by myself as well. Every so often, I'll go walking or  
  
hiking to some secluded area, usually where there's water, and  
  
then I just sit, taking in everything around me and enjoying the  
  
silence." She glanced at Kaiba and then blushed. "Oops. Too much  
  
information, I think." Tea was surprised when he chuckled and  
  
nearly melted. His laughed sounded so sexy, a rumble deep within  
  
his chest, almost sounding like a growl.  
  
"That's alright, I don't mind. I don't have the luxury to  
  
have as much fun as you do, though sometimes I wish I did. I've  
  
got this huge house to manage, a little brother to look after, a  
  
company to run, not to mention all of the Duel Monsters  
  
tournaments that people are always trying to rope me into..." he  
  
trailed off. Stopping, he looked at Tea and smiled  
  
apologetically. "This would be my class, so this is where we say  
  
goodbye."  
  
"Oh, alright. I'll see you tomorrow," Tea said cheerily  
  
before giving him a small wave and walking down the rest of the  
  
hallway to her own class. As she reached the door, she looked  
  
back, hoping to catch a glance of him one last time. But he was  
  
already gone.  
  
  
  
As soon as Tea got home, the first thing she did was scream.  
  
She couldn't believe it! Seto Kaiba had actually noticed her,  
  
spoken to her... hell, he'd started up a conversation between the  
  
two of them.  
  
"No, wait Tea, calm down. I mean, seriously, let's look at  
  
the reality of this situation for just a sec." Tea held up her  
  
hand, sticking her pointer finger out: one. "He was just being  
  
friendly." Second finger rose. "I'm overly obsessed." Third  
  
finger joined the others. "What are the chances I'd ever get  
  
with him, anyway?" She shook her head and sighed. "I've got a  
  
headache."  
  
The door burst open behind her and in ran her two sisters,  
  
chasing each other and screaming to high heaven. They shouted a  
  
quick hello to their older sister before rushing down the long  
  
hallway, up two flights of stairs, and into their rooms, each  
  
yelling out their claims on the Barbies they were going to play  
  
with.  
  
"I'll never get anything done here. Not with those two  
  
around," Tea said to herself. Picking up her book-bag from the  
  
floor where it had been laying forgotten, she trudged to her room  
  
and pulled off her uniform, changing into different clothes.  
  
After tossing her uniform into the hamper, she grabbed her car  
  
keys and bag. "Girls! I'm going out! Lock the door after me!" Tea  
  
shouted to her sisters. They shouted an 'okay' in response, one  
  
of them flying down the stairs and holding the door while Tea  
  
walked out. When she heard the click of the lock, she grabbed the  
  
garage door opener from her bag and gently pushed the button,  
  
watching the door roll up as she walked in and opened her truck.  
  
As soon as Tea got into her black, crew-cab pickup, she  
  
tossed her bag to the passenger side and pulled her seatbelt on.  
  
After clicking it into place, she shoved the key into the  
  
ignition, listening to the purr of the engine and feeling the  
  
truck rumble beneath her before putting it into DRIVE and  
  
pulling onto the street. Getting off of the residential street  
  
that she lived on, she pulled onto the main freeway.  
  
"Where to go, where to go," Tea chanted as she tapped her  
  
fingers against the steering wheel to the beat of the blaring  
  
radio. As she turned a corner, she caught a glimpse of a limo in  
  
her rear-view mirror, going in the opposite direction. She  
  
sighed, immediately thinking of Kaiba and took a left, heading  
  
for Yugi's grandfather's shop. When she reached it, she pulled  
  
into one of the spaces in the five-space parking lot and turned  
  
off her truck after putting it into PARK.  
  
Walking into the shop, Tea heard the familiar jingle of the  
  
door bells as her eyes landed on Yugi's grandfather. He noticed  
  
her and a smile spread across his face.  
  
"Good afternoon Tea," he greeted her. "What brings you to my  
  
humble shop today?"  
  
"Actually I was wondering if the guys were here," she  
  
replied happily. He nodded and tossed a hand over his shoulder,  
  
thumb pointing back sharply.  
  
"In the back room like always. I think they might as well  
  
take up permanent residence in there with all the time they  
  
spend in that room." Tea laughed.  
  
"Thank you," she said gratefully, moving past the display  
  
cases and behind the check-out counter through the door in the  
  
back of the store. Tea walked down a short hallway before  
  
stepping into the room furnished with two couches, a small coffee  
  
table in the middle, a television on the far wall and  
  
refrigerator to the far right as well as an old recliner. Joey  
  
and Tristan were sprawled out all over the couches, limbs  
  
dangling over the sides while Yugi sat , content on the floor.  
  
Tea felt more than saw their gazes on her as she entered and a  
  
slight tremor passed through her body.  
  
That had been happening a lot lately. Ever since she had  
  
come back after spending three summer months in Australia with  
  
her cousin. And she hadn't just been getting the feeling from  
  
Tristan and Joey- she felt like that almost every time a guy  
  
stopped to look at her. It was strange and Tea couldn't, for the  
  
life of her, figure out why it was happening. Was she funny  
  
looking? Intimidating? She had always been aware of her above  
  
average height of five-nine, but this was ridiculous!  
  
"Hey guys!" she called out cheerily. They blinked as if  
  
coming out of a trance before returning her smile.  
  
"T, long time no see," Joey said as he and Tristan pulled  
  
themselves to sitting positions.  
  
"Yeah, Tea, where've ya been?" Yugi asked, clicking the  
  
t.v. off behind him. Tea walked around the couch and plopped down  
  
in the corner of Joey's couch, pulling a pillow into her arms and  
  
lifting her feet up.  
  
"I've been watching my little sisters this week. My parents  
  
had another meeting in England and they've been there for almost  
  
two weeks. Dad called today and told me they were heading home  
  
today and I'm guessing they'll be home by tomorrow. I thought I  
  
told you guys," Tea replied. Joey put a hand behind his head and  
  
laughed.  
  
"Well, supposing you did," he glanced at Tristan and Yugi  
  
warily, "we may have forgotten."  
  
"That's alright you guys. I mean, you've got other things  
  
to do besides keeping track of what's going on in my life." Tea  
  
smiled at her friends and faltered. They were staring at her  
  
again. "Uh, guys?"  
  
"What's that Tea?" Yugi asking, shaking his head slightly  
  
and blushing.  
  
"Why do you guys keep doing that?" she demanded, clawing at  
  
the pillow in her grip.  
  
"Doing what?" Joey asked, jumping back.  
  
"Staring at me like you do! Ever since I got back from 'The  
  
Land Down Under' you guys have been looking at me like I've gone  
  
under... six feet under! You act like I've come back from the  
  
dead or grown a third ear in the middle of my forehead. Now what  
  
the heck is going on?" Tea shouted.  
  
"Now T, I'm sure you're overreacting," Tristan said quietly,  
  
trying to calm her. Tea stood up, her eyes blaring and noticed  
  
how their eyes moved over her again.  
  
"I am not overreacting! You're doing it right now!"  
  
"Aw geez guys, maybe we should tell her..." Joey started as  
  
Tea wheeled on him and grabbed the collar of his shirt with both  
  
hands, hauling him to his feet.  
  
"Alright Joey, I know those two would rather go to the grave  
  
than tell me what's going on, but you're weak and you will tell  
  
me or I'll beat you up, I swear!" she threatened. Joey shivered,  
  
took in a deep breath and seemed to slowly melt before pushing  
  
her hands away and standing by himself.  
  
"Okay, okay, I give. But before I tell ya, I just gotta say  
  
that you smell so damn good." Joey tucked his hands into his  
  
pockets as he watched Tea's bright blue eyes slowly widen.  
  
"Joey, this may not be such a good idea..." Yugi said, but  
  
Joey held up a hand and stopped him.  
  
"No Yug, she wants to know, so I'm gonna let her know." He  
  
looked over at Tea. "You'd better not take this the wrong way,"  
  
he warned her.  
  
"Spill Joey!" she shouted getting frustrated.  
  
"Okay, well, we mean this in the friendliest way, and I'm  
  
speaking for all three of us so... what I'm trying to say is...  
  
Tea you're just gonna have to face the truth. You are freakin'  
  
hot." Joey blew out a breath of relief and looked to Tea, stunned  
  
when he found her unmoving and un-speaking.  
  
"No really, what's wrong with me?" she asked quietly.  
  
Tristan stood and went over to her, draping an arm over her  
  
shoulders.  
  
"Tea, there is absolutely nothing wrong with you. In fact,  
  
sometimes you seem too perfect. Joey's being honest with you,  
  
amazing at it is," Tristan explained gently. "Ever since you came  
  
back from Australia, everything about you seems to have changed.  
  
You've gotten a little tanned, your legs seem to be a whole  
  
bunch longer, your clothes fit better, I don't know. There just  
  
seems to be this more mature, sexier Tea in the place of the old  
  
one and it's taking a little getting used to it."  
  
"But I haven't changed. Right Yugi?" Tea asked, turning to  
  
him. Yugi blushed and cast his eyes downward before returning  
  
them to meet Tea's gaze.  
  
"You have Tea. So much about you has changed, it's almost  
  
like sometimes you're not the same person. You've become a  
  
brilliant strategist in Duel Monsters... heck, every  
  
once-in-a-while I get overwhelmed playing with you. You've  
  
gotten so powerful and calculating when you play. You never used  
  
to be like that. It's not a bad thing though. And then there's  
  
the change in your physical appearance as Joey and Tristan  
  
mentioned. I don't know, it's like some switch turned on inside  
  
of you and transformed you into this incredibly gorgeous girl  
  
that we thought we had grown up with. You're not mad, are you?"  
  
Yugi asked timidly, studying Tea's face carefully.  
  
"I'm not mad. Not in a million years, guys. I just never  
  
expected you to tell me something like this. I thought you were  
  
staring at me because there was something wrong with me, but then  
  
I find out it's because you think I'm... You complimented me  
  
instead of bashing me! It's kind of funny," Tea giggled,  
  
grabbing Tristan and Joey and trapping them each in a head-lock.  
  
She winked at Yugi who laughed and stood, walked over to the  
  
group and pushed them onto the couch, a mass of twisted  
  
appendages. Joey let out a surprised yelp when Tea yanked on his  
  
arm to catch a glimpse of his watch. She sighed and started  
  
pushing the guys away from her.  
  
"What's the matter Tea?" Joey asked, sitting up and  
  
laughing, rubbing his wrist where she had yanked absentmindedly.  
  
"I've gotta get going. Unlike you slackers," she winked, "I  
  
have homework to do. I'll see you later," Tea said standing and  
  
straightening her clothes. Flashing a last smile at them and a  
  
last 'thanks', and walked out of the room, through the shop and  
  
back to her truck.  
  
"I am so glad I got that homework done!" Tea said gratefully  
  
to herself as she drove. "I didn't think I'd ever get it done."  
  
Turning the dial on the radio, she hummed along as the newest  
  
boy-band started singing and moved into the right lane, ready to  
  
go home. When she caught sight of a little shadow moving, as if  
  
afraid, along the side of a building, she pulled up to the curb  
  
and stopped her truck, turning it off and shoving her keys into  
  
her pocket. Tea got out of the truck slowly and walked over to  
  
the little kid who was shrunk down, peering around the corner of  
  
the building, not noticing her approach. When she tapped on his  
  
shoulder lightly, he jumped, let out a frightened yelp, and  
  
started crying.  
  
"Please don't hurt me. I don't wanna be beat up again," the  
  
small boy whimpered. Tea's eyes flashed momentarily before  
  
softening. She knelt slowly and smiled tenderly at him, holding  
  
out her hand.  
  
"I'm not going to hurt you little one. I came to see if you  
  
were alright. Who beat you up little guy?" she asked as he took a  
  
cautious step towards her and started reaching for her hand. Tea  
  
took a gentle hold of his little hand and brought him to her  
  
slowly, kneeling to his level and smiling encouragingly. He  
  
sniffled and wiped his eyes with a dirty sleeve as he launched  
  
himself into her arms.  
  
"It was the boys at school. They made fun of my brother and  
  
I told them that they were wrong and they hit me. Then when I  
  
was going home, they chased me and hit me and kicked me. I got  
  
away and ran as fast as I could, but when I stopped running, I  
  
didn't know where I was!" he cried, tears drenching the shoulder  
  
of Tea's shirt. She shushed him gently and rubbed his back,  
  
murmuring that it was going to be okay. When his crying had  
  
slowed, she held him away from her a bit and looked at him.  
  
"It's going to be alright, okay? I'm going to take you home  
  
and give you my phone number and you can call me any time. How's  
  
that sound?" Tea asked him, placing a hand on his shoulder. He  
  
looked unsurely at her before gulping and biting his lip.  
  
"But my brother told me to never take rides from strangers,"  
  
he countered. "Fine then. I'm Tea," Tea said, holding out her hand for  
  
him to shake. He looked at her hand and then smiled, reaching out  
  
to shake it.  
  
"My name's Mokuba."  
  
"Great. Now if you come with me, I can give you that ride  
  
home," she told him, standing and keeping a hold on his hand. He  
  
grinned up at her and nodded, following her happily to her truck.  
  
She lifted him up into the cab and he scooted over to the  
  
passenger side, pulling his seatbelt on awkwardly. Tea laughed as  
  
she hopped into the driver's seat and put on hers as well.  
  
"This is a little weird for me," Mokuba said quietly. "I've  
  
never been in the cab of a car before and I've never had to wear  
  
a seatbelt before either." Tea looked at him, stunned.  
  
"Why's that?" she asked as she started up the vehicle.  
  
"Oh, well, me and my brother always ride in a limo and there  
  
aren't any seatbelts in them. He tells me that it's not alright  
  
to sit with the driver and so I have to sit with him in the back  
  
all the time. But this is fun. You get to see more when you're  
  
up here," he replied, kicking his feet off the side of the seat.  
  
Tea nodded in understanding and pulled away from the curb and  
  
back into traffic. Mokuba gave her the address of him home and  
  
she was there within ten minutes, stopping in front of a large  
  
house, larger than her own, and letting the small boy out. Before  
  
he left, she handed him a small card with her name and number to  
  
him and watched him walk to the door happily, pulling a house-key  
  
out of his pocket. When she had made sure he was in the house,  
  
she left and headed home.  
  
"Seto! I'm home!" the eight-year-old yelled from the front  
  
door as he shut it behind him. Mokuba ran into the living room  
  
and turned on the t.v., finding his favorite show on. Singing  
  
the theme song, he didn't notice his brother come down the stairs  
  
quietly.  
  
"Mokuba, where were you?" came a voice to the side of the  
  
child. The wild blue eyes turned to meet the calm, calculating,  
  
and cold dark blues of his elder brother. He gulped.  
  
"I was walking around," Mokuba said, not wanting to divulge  
  
his secret or problems to his brother. "Sorry I'm so late," he  
  
apologized. Seto Kaiba's face softened at his brother's  
  
submittance and rubbed his hand over the black hair of the boy.  
  
"It's alright. Just get home sooner from now on," Kaiba said  
  
removing his hand. Mokuba nodded.  
  
"Did you keep your promise today, big brother?" Mokuba  
  
questioned Kaiba suddenly with suspicious eyes. Kaiba gave his  
  
mouth a wry twist that could have passed for a sarcastic smirk  
  
before sighing and answering with a roll of his eyes.  
  
"Yes Mokuba, I kept my promise. I was nice today. I even  
  
talked to a girl at school and walked with her for a while. This  
  
is the last time I let you beat me in a game of Duel Monsters and  
  
choose my penalty. You know I don't like those sniveling idiots  
  
at school," Kaiba finished with his normal attitude returning  
  
with every passing moment. *Though I have to admit,* he thought  
  
to himself, *that girl wasn't half bad, and gorgeous besides.  
  
Legs that went on forever...* Kaiba suddenly blinked, realizing  
  
what direction those thoughts were going and halted his  
  
thinking. Letting his mind wonder over the girl would lead to  
  
feelings, and feelings would lead to hurt. He would never let  
  
that happen again. No one would see his true heart except for  
  
Mokuba. Only he could be trusted.  
  
Kaiba jerked when he felt a cool hand touch his hand  
  
lightly and tug on his coat timidly. He looked down on Mokuba and  
  
watched the ten-year-olds eyes change from confused to content.  
  
"Thank you for keeping your promise, Seto. Even if it was  
  
for only one day," the child said gratefully before hugging his  
  
brother from over the top of the couch and turning back to his  
  
program.  
  
As his brother plopped back into the cushiony softness of  
  
the black leather couch, Kaiba sighed a sad sigh, went back up  
  
the stairs to his personal study, and shut the door.  
  
When Tea walked through the door, she was met with silence  
  
and cautiously entered the house, not wanting to wake her two  
  
younger sisters if they were sleeping. Passing through the  
  
kitchen doorway, she was suddenly ambushed and slammed to the  
  
floor, completely covered by little girls.  
  
"Gotcha!" Kiri cried. "Now I get to choose dinner!" she  
  
yelped triumphantly. "Nu-uh," Arashi protested, getting up off of her older  
  
sister and standing arms akimbo. "I got her first so I get to  
  
choose!" As Kiri climbed off to argue her point, Tea leaned back  
  
on her elbows and watched in amusement as they fought, her  
  
laughing bringing them from their heated debate. "It's not  
  
funny! I won!" Arashi yelled. Tea smiled and got up slowly,  
  
dusting herself off out of habit and laid a hand on each of their  
  
shoulders. "How about I order pepperoni pizza with extra cheese  
  
instead?" Tea asked as her younger sisters eyes lit up like  
  
fireworks. Screaming happily in octaves that couldn't even be  
  
reached by sirens, they pulled on Tea's neck and gave her a  
  
choking hug before running down the hallway, giggling, their  
  
argument resolved. The older girl pressed her lips together and  
  
shook her head before picking up her book bag from the floor and  
  
dropping it on top of the counter. She sat down in one of the  
  
five breakfast bar bar-stools and reached for the white cordless  
  
phone, punching in the number for the nearest pizza place out of  
  
memory.  
  
After ordering the pizzas, Tea sat back and took in a deep  
  
breath, looking around the empty kitchen quietly. It was a good  
  
thing she had her sisters. Without them, her life wouldn't  
  
really be anything. With her parents constantly gone, her joy  
  
always seemed to be found in her younger siblings. Their colorful  
  
artwork and school pictures were plastered all over the front of  
  
the refrigerator with colorful magnets. Bottles filled with red,  
  
green, and blue pastas rested on the counters, and two small  
  
white rose plants sat on the kitchen window's sill above the  
  
sink, living healthily thanks to the careful management of Kiri  
  
and Arashi. Across the kitchen was a larger window that let in  
  
nearly all of the light, a bay window that could be sat on with a  
  
long, pillow-like mat on the sill part for comfortability.  
  
Somewhere down the hall and up the stairs, Tea could hear  
  
her little sisters shrieking happily as they played some  
  
childhood game. Tea had never gotten that. When she was little,  
  
her parents hadn't really understood what it meant to be parents  
  
and instead of loving her, had *taught* her how to be a lady, the  
  
perfect manners, nearly ten different languages, how to dodge  
  
political and economical questions that she felt distasteful, and  
  
so on. She had been raised to be a diplomat, not a person.  
  
However, when she had turned six, she had by that time, also  
  
been taught how to stand up for what she thought and had told  
  
her parents that she needed to attend public school and take some  
  
time off from traveling.  
  
Not long after that, she had gained a sister, and a year  
  
after that, another. They could have been twins the way they were  
  
so similar. Their pretty blonde hair and dark brown eyes tended  
  
to capture any passerby. They, unlike Tea, looked exactly like  
  
their parents. Tea's mother had explained that Tea had gotten her  
  
looks from her father's mother: her grandmother, and bore an  
  
identical resemblance to the great lady. It was said she had been  
  
crown royalty before denouncing the crown and settling down to  
  
live a half-normal life. That hadn't worked of course, but it  
  
hadn't turned out to be as demanding a life as royalty would  
  
have been, so there were no complaints.  
  
Occasionally, Tea went on trips with her parents to impress  
  
some neighboring country with her upbringing, wits, or demeanor,  
  
but that did not happen often. While her parents had not exactly  
  
loved her like normal parents did when she was younger, she had  
  
at least had a chance to spend time with them. Kiri and Arashi  
  
rarely saw them. Again the tables had turned, for though the  
  
girls had to deal with their absence, they gained the  
  
unconditional doting when they were around. Attention was even  
  
paid to Tea, who at times felt left out by her mother. Her father  
  
however, treated her as a princess and was the jewel of his eye.  
  
He had always felt bad about the way Tea had been raised and had  
  
been making it up ever since the birth of Arashi. Tea's mother  
  
however never found Tea perfect. There was always some flaw,  
  
something wrong that displeased her that she found correct in the  
  
other two, and for that Tea was sad.  
  
Blinking back a tear, Tea thought of the benefits of having  
  
finally stood up to her parents. She had become normal at least  
  
in the eyes of the public and had made wonderful friends. School  
  
was a joy that she looked forward to nearly every day and she  
  
loved looking after her sisters and being their favorite person.  
  
No matter what happened, they always went running to her, and for  
  
that, Tea felt completely loved.  
  
There was something missing though. Having turned sixteen  
  
nearly four months earlier, Tea had begun to painfully realize  
  
that she was missing out on one important factor in her life...  
  
The love of a boy. Or young man. Whatever. All she ever saw  
  
around school was how happy people were when they held the hand  
  
of a loved one or stole secret glances at one another. Tea had  
  
never dated before. She'd never been asked, never been  
  
interested until one had caught her eye.  
  
Seto Kaiba was the only guy who had ever captured Tea's  
  
attention utterly and completely. He was everything a girl could  
  
wish for with only one flaw: he was moody and like a solitary  
  
wolf. The way he stared at the world was almost predatory and he  
  
hardly ever spoke except when he was proving others wrong. For  
  
most of the time, Tea could be doing the same thing, but chose  
  
not to cut people down so harshly and kept her mouth shut. If  
  
Kaiba ever made someone cry, Tea was always there to reassure and  
  
calm afterwards, as it had happened on several occasions. But she  
  
couldn't hate him for it, because she saw in him a resemblance to  
  
herself. He was shut off from the world, by choice, because he  
  
was afraid. Afraid of feeling, afraid of getting hurt. Tea knew  
  
those feelings all too well. It had taken nearly two years just  
  
for Yugi, Tristan, and Joey to be let into her trust and into her  
  
heart. They were like brothers to her, but it had been extremely  
  
hard for her, her mind screaming to her every night that they  
  
would leave and ignore her as her parents had when she was young  
  
and still did occasionally.  
  
"Kaiba," Tea murmured quietly, shutting her eyes. "I know  
  
you." The kitchen was silent, her voice hardly echoing against  
  
the cabinets and tile flooring. Her eyes snapped open when she  
  
heard the sound of the doorbell and looked up at the clock on the  
  
microwave hastily. "Thirty minutes? Already? Girls! Pizza's  
  
here!" she shouted as she grabbed her wallet out of her purse and  
  
walked to the door. The screaming of little girls was heard as  
  
they apparently scrambled down the stairs to reach the food  
  
first. Tea opened the door, paid for the pizza, took the pizzas  
  
from the delivery boy (who seemed to be suffering from a severe  
  
breakout) and sent him on his way before he was toppled over by  
  
the hungry children. As Tea shut the door and turned, she  
  
watched as the two girls skidded to a halt in front of her,  
  
practically drooling over the aroma of the pizza.  
  
Walking to the kitchen tantalizingly slow, Tea lured the  
  
girls to the counter where they seemed to be in a trance, just  
  
waiting for her to set down the precious boxes. A malicious  
  
thought entered Tea's mind and she put the boxes into one hand,  
  
placing one on top of the other and tapping her chin with the  
  
free hand.  
  
"These pizzas say that only sixteen-year-olds can eat them.  
  
Sorry you two, you don't get any," Tea teased. The two girls  
  
blinked slowly before realizing what she said. An uproar ensued.  
  
"It does NOOOOOOOOTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT!" Kiri shouted, stomping  
  
her feet and crossing her arms. "Let me see that!"  
  
"I'm HUNGRY!" Arashi chimed in, trying to jump for the  
  
pizzas in Tea's raised arm.  
  
"I don't know. I think that's what I saw," Tea said,  
  
aggravating them more. "Should I check again?" she questioned  
  
the nine and ten-year-old beneath her. "What'd ya think I should  
  
do?" Tea asked, turning to the old teddy bear sitting between two  
  
of the cabinets in a little knick-knack space. "What's that? You  
  
think I should let them have the pizza? Oh, alright," Tea faked,  
  
turning and placing the boxes on the island in the middle of the  
  
kitchen in a fluid motion. She quickly turned and pulled three  
  
plates from a cabinet as well as three cups and a hand-full of  
  
napkins. Working as a waiter for some time back at the local high  
  
school hot spot, she had learned to be an excellent waitress and  
  
grab a multitude of things at a time. She no longer worked there,  
  
but the talent still remained.  
  
Her sisters snatched the plates up from her hand and hastily  
  
placed the steaming pizza onto their plates with occasional  
  
exclamations of pain from the heat of the food. After plates had  
  
been filled, the three sisters trudged to the living room where  
  
they all sat down in front of the television, settled in the  
  
recliner and the couch. There was a content silence as they ate  
  
together before Tea switched on the big-screen to the cartoon  
  
channel and the girls' delighted shrieks filled the room. Tea  
  
pushed her plate onto the coffee table to the right of her and  
  
sank back into the large, brown leather recliner, reveling in the  
  
sounds of her sisters... of her family... of her life.  
  
*** End of Part 1. What did ya'll think? (My dad's from Mississippi, I can't help it! *^_^*) I love email and critiques, but they're not necessary. I have the superb ability to recieve flames and not get over-dramatic over them, as long as they're not just bashing me.  
  
Here's the question of the week: Why are YAOI fics (boy/boy or girl/girl) so popular with the Yu-Gi-Oh! fanfic community? I really don't find them appealing, they're actually quite disgusting in my opinion, but why are there so many? You have to search a lot harder if you want a decent boy/girl pairing. What does everybody else think?  
  
Atlantis *^_^*  
  
godscartungrrl@netscape.net 


	2. Chapter 2

Riddles of the Heart written by Atlantis © 2002  
  
Here is Part 2 for all of you lovely people who critiqued me so nicely. It's also for those of you who didn't! *grins* Thanks to all of you who took the time to answer my 'question of the week'. I got some answers that really did make sense. I would also like to say to a critiquer, who shall remain nameless, that no, the ties of royalty don't really matter all that much, they may later, but as of now, I am simply attempting to show the audience that Tea has class and gets her looks from her grandma.  
  
Alright, you all know that I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh! so let's stop pretending. It may take a bit longer for me to realize it, but I think I'll be okay. No worries.  
  
Rating: PG-13  
  
*****************************************************************  
  
Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. Love does not demand its own way. Love is not irritable, and it keeps no record of when it has been wronged.  
  
1 Corinthians 13:4&5  
  
*****************************************************************  
  
PART 2  
  
Seto Kaiba awoke abruptly, his hands clenching at the sheets  
  
beneath him while his knees rose and his other hand dug into his  
  
hair ruthlessly. His dreams tormented him so much, making him so  
  
afraid, that he couldn't even utter the smallest scream. Death.  
  
That was what he always dreamt about. Death and abuse... and  
  
abandonment. Those were the only things that moved through his  
  
mind, besides the overwhelming instinct to protect Mokuba.  
  
"Aaarhg," he growled, throwing his sheets off and stomping  
  
into his bathroom, staring at his pale and frightened reflection  
  
in the mirror before shucking his clothes and jumping into the  
  
shower. It was the same pale face he saw every morning after his  
  
nightmares. He wanted so badly to tell someone, to take some of  
  
the burden off of himself, but there was no one. Kaiba didn't  
  
dare let anyone close enough to him to be allowed into his  
  
confidences and he would never let Mokuba know; knowing that the  
  
small boy already worried about him enough. At times he even felt  
  
inhuman.  
  
Yes, inhuman was accurate. He despised feeling any emotion  
  
whatsoever, chose not to associate with people unless absolutely  
  
necessary, and looked at the world as if it was something  
  
imperfect and lacking instead of a wide place to live in or  
  
discover treasures in. He had never had the blessing of having  
  
loving parents nor having the chance to love them. Kaiba had  
  
been robbed of their love and presences at a young age. The crash  
  
had been horrible and he had witnessed it with his own eyes.  
  
It had happened just a few feet beyond his own driveway.  
  
Kaiba had been watching his baby brother when his parents had  
  
honked the car horn as they always did. He had run to the door  
  
and opened it to greet them happily when, right before his young  
  
eyes, another car seemed to appear out of nowhere, barreling down  
  
the road at somewhere around seventy-five miles per hour. His  
  
parents hadn't even gotten a chance to scream when the other  
  
vehicle slammed into their own, obliterating the small passenger  
  
car and throwing its parts all across the street and off the side  
  
of the road.  
  
Thankfully, Mokuba had been too young to remember his  
  
parent's death and unfortunately, he hadn't nearly begun to  
  
experience their unconditional love. Living with Kaiba all of his  
  
life, Mokuba didn't know what he was missing. But Kaiba knew  
  
better because he had loved and lost... and from fear of  
  
suffering anything like that again, he refused to make any  
  
friends or make any attempt to have any relationship whatsoever.  
  
The only things that Kaiba lived for were Mokuba and his job as  
  
soul owner and executive CEO of Kaiba Corp. Even though his job  
  
was demanding and he was almost never home because of that and  
  
school combined, he always made sure that Mokuba came first.  
  
He couldn't explain it. It was a strange sensation that came  
  
over him whenever he thought of Mokuba being alone or not being  
  
taken care of. Kaiba never failed to spend time with the little  
  
boy, talking about his school day, playing a card game with him  
  
(Duel Monsters or otherwise), and every night told Mokuba of his  
  
memories of their parents. It didn't matter that the memories had  
  
been repeated numerous times and Mokuba knew them all by heart.  
  
It mattered that Kaiba wanted to reassure the boy of their truth  
  
and reality, that they had been real, and they had been stolen  
  
away.  
  
Turning the knobs to shut off the shower, Seto Kaiba grabbed  
  
for a towel and wrapped it around himself, wiping a hand across  
  
the already foggy mirror. He sighed and reached for his comb,  
  
styling his hair as he always did and then brushing his teeth,  
  
knowing that he wouldn't be eating breakfast that morning. Soon  
  
after, he got dressed and grabbed his bookbag, closing the door  
  
to his room after he left. He found Mokuba in the kitchen eating  
  
his breakfast, some type of marshmallow cereal, at the counter  
  
quietly. Kaiba ruffled the boy's hair fondly and smirked as the  
  
boy slurped down the last of his milk and remaining cereal before  
  
grabbing his backpack and running to the door.  
  
"Mokuba! Aren't you forgetting something?" Kaiba called out,  
  
holding up a rumpled brown and bulging paper bag. Mokuba yelped  
  
and rushed for the bag, grabbing it from his older brother's  
  
outstretched hand and then dashing out the door again towards the  
  
limo that was waiting in front of the house to take him to  
  
school. Kaiba shook his head and moved towards the door as well,  
  
though somewhat slower, and made sure to set the alarm and lock  
  
the door behind him before getting into his own mode of  
  
transportation to go to school. He sighed out loud as he eased  
  
himself into the leather seat of his black Porsche and turned the  
  
key in the ignition, listening to the steady and rhythmic hum of  
  
the engine. Strapping his seatbelt on hurriedly, he pulled out  
  
of the long driveway and towards the direction of the school,  
  
unaware that someone across town was thinking of him and missing  
  
school.  
  
  
  
Tea shrieked as she threw her bag into the passenger seat,  
  
banging against the window with a loud crash before she took her  
  
place in the driver's seat and shoved the key into the ignition  
  
as she shut her door forcefully and pulled out of the driveway  
  
hastily, pulling her seatbelt across her body as she drove.  
  
"Man oh man, I'm gonna catch it for being so late!" she  
  
whined to herself. She had gotten a little too caught up in  
  
daydreaming about Kaiba while eating breakfast to realize that  
  
the time had flown by, her cereal had gotten soggy, and she had  
  
missed her first class. Tea had never had this problem before and  
  
she silently freaked-out to herself as she drove along the nearly  
  
empty streets to the school.  
  
As she neared it, she wondered why the administrators had  
  
combined the high school with the college- merging some of the  
  
classes together. That was the only reason that she had a class  
  
with Seto Kaiba. He was in college and taking a college course,  
  
and she was in the advanced placement program, trying to earn  
  
college credit so that she wouldn't have to worry about it once  
  
out of high school. It was a hard class and first she had to pass  
  
it and then take a college exam to see if she qualified for the  
  
credit. Tea found it hard, but she loved the challenge and gave  
  
it all she had. From what the teacher had hinted at, and her  
  
heart sped at this, she was at the top of the class... right  
  
alongside Seto Kaiba.  
  
The parking lot came into her view and she whipped into it  
  
smoothly, pulling into the closest spot and parking her truck  
  
hurriedly. She grabbed her bag, locked the doors and ran to the  
  
doors to the front office, afraid of the reprimands that she was  
  
going to get from the administrators, whom she knew well.  
  
As she pushed against the doors, they opened easily and Tea  
  
burst in, ready to blurt out apologies when she was greeted with  
  
smiles.  
  
"Tea! I'm surprised you came today. I thought perhaps that  
  
you were sick," one of the secretaries said in a friendly manner.  
  
"I was just about to call home. Are you alright?"  
  
"I'm okay. I just lost track of time for some reason this  
  
morning and... I'm so sorry for missing my first hour, I promise  
  
I'll never do it again!" Tea promised, readying her body for the  
  
reprimand any moment. Instead she heard a light chuckling and  
  
opened her eyes timidly to find the other secretaries and  
  
administrators gathered around, sending kind looks her way.  
  
"It happens. Don't worry too much about it Tea. You've had  
  
perfect attendance since first grade," replied an older woman who  
  
had known her since birth. "I'm sure that none of us would mind  
  
if it happened again and again, as long as you were staying out  
  
of trouble and keeping up with your schoolwork. This won't even  
  
go on your record as a truancy," the older woman winked and  
  
turned to the others who nodded in reply. Numbly, Tea muttered a  
  
thank you and dumbfoundedly moved down the corridor towards her  
  
locker and then class.  
  
Her second hour was already in progress when she opened up  
  
the door and walked in, all eyes automatically shifting to her  
  
interrupting presence. Averting her eyes from those of the  
  
shocked teacher, Tea made her way to the far end of the room in  
  
the back, near the windows and quietly took her seat, removing  
  
her pencil and notepad from her bag to take notes. The class  
  
remained silent, everyone staring at her as if she had grown  
  
another head. It took the clearing of her throat to semi-snap the  
  
teacher out of her stupor before she clucked at the class  
  
reproachfully and turned towards the blackboard, her chalk  
  
clicking sharply against it as she wrote down the lesson.  
  
Tea still felt many stares boring into her, but she  
  
maintained her effort to remain with her face forward. When she  
  
felt like she was no longer being studied like a specimen under  
  
glass, she gently placed her pencil down and looked out the  
  
window to her left, just barely a foot away from where she sat  
  
and large in size, like the other five or six that lined the  
  
wall. Her teacher's voice floated away like a haze and she  
  
drifted into the part of her mind that only focused on Kaiba.  
  
Something was different about him and she couldn't figure out  
  
what. There didn't seem to be anything unusual about him, but  
  
there was just a little thought that just kept nagging at her  
  
but she didn't know what it was. It was like an itch that she  
  
couldn't scratch.  
  
When she decided that thinking about his unidentified  
  
characteristic was too complicating, she automatically switched  
  
to how gorgeous he was. That was easy to do and she was startled  
  
when she faintly heard the bell that ended her class. Dazedly,  
  
she gathered her things together and left without a word to  
  
anyone, not even saying hello to Tristan, Joey, or Yugi as they  
  
stood and stared at her as she passed. Tea walked to her next  
  
class with mounting excitement because he would be there.  
  
However, a constant buzzing filled the air around her and she  
  
found that people were staring at her as if in shock. Worriedly,  
  
she ducked into the closest girls' room and looked at herself in  
  
the mirror. She nearly screamed.  
  
Tea hit her head against the wall, feeling utterly  
  
ridiculous. First, she had come to school late, and that in  
  
itself was bad enough because of Tea's reputation of either being  
  
at school or dead to miss it. Then, added on top of that, she did  
  
NOT look herself today. In her rush to get ready that morning,  
  
Tea had grabbed her shortest skirt, a pair of heels rather than  
  
her pumps, and had pulled on one of the tight-fitting white  
  
button-up shirts that had been given to her as a gag gift from  
  
her friends since she was so conservative and the shirt was so  
  
racy, instead of a uniform regulation white blouse. She looked  
  
good, but she looked like she was trying to flaunt everything  
  
she had. Hesitantly, she tried to say what she looked like but  
  
couldn't force the word off of her tongue. Sexy. That's what she  
  
was today, and she was deathly afraid. She hardly even wore  
  
sleeveless shirts and here she was wearing the tightest thing  
  
she owned, which she admitted fearfully, also had its buttons  
  
stop almost indecently low. Giving the chance to anyone who  
  
desired to look down her shirt. And her skirt! Could it get any  
  
shorter?  
  
*Egads,* she thought almost tearfully. *Another stupid gag  
  
gift that I was doomed to wear. This might not be so bad if I  
  
wasn't wearing the heels too. They had to be black and so cute  
  
with that strap that wraps around my ankle, didn't they?* she  
  
asked herself as she stopped hitting her head. Giving a pitiful  
  
cry, she stood up, straightened her appearance, and left the  
  
girls' room to get to class. There were only stragglers left in  
  
the halls and Tea realized that she had mere seconds to get to  
  
class before she was tardy. She took off down the hall, moving as  
  
fast as she could in her heels, which was actually almost  
  
miraculously, a run. Reaching the door, she flung it open and  
  
stepped inside just as the bell rang and moved to her seat, her  
  
chest heaving from the run.  
  
The teacher looked up a little stunned but marked her  
  
present on the attendance sheet and moved on. Many of the  
  
students had turned in her direction as she had entered so  
  
noisily and as she feared many of them were boys. Older boys.  
  
After a few moments, after he had finished scribbling something  
  
down, even Kaiba had turned around after a sharp poke in the ribs  
  
by the kid sitting next to him. Her eyes locked with his as he  
  
turned to look at her and he froze.  
  
  
  
Blood drummed loudly in Kaiba's ears as he cast his eyes  
  
over the heaving beauty in front of him. She was wearing a daring  
  
outfit that even made him feel the effects as he reached up to  
  
pull at his collar, suddenly finding it too tight and the room  
  
much too hot. His eyes swept over her and traveled over her legs  
  
and up to barely see into the shirt that fit way too well and  
  
finally into her bright blue eyes that seemed not to move from  
  
his own. He watched as she flushed and gulped before hesitantly  
  
sitting down in front of her computer and desperately pulling  
  
down on her skirt.  
  
*She's so nervous,* Kaiba reflected silently. *I wonder  
  
why... * He stopped, then looked at her again, noticing how  
  
different she was today from all of the other days. He almost  
  
laughed. *Adorable. Completely adorable. The little modest girl  
  
grabbed the wrong clothes. Good Lord those clothes! They make her  
  
look so... sexy doesn't even cut it. Sultry, I think that works.  
  
She... * Kaiba stopped his train of thoughts suddenly and berated  
  
himself for caring. He didn't know her and she didn't know him  
  
and he was going to keep it that way, no matter how edible she  
  
looked. Kaiba gave her one last once-over before resolutely  
  
turning to his computer screen and beginning his mad typing to  
  
force the burning image of her from his mind.  
  
He didn't know that as he looked away, Tea was just barely  
  
turning from her computer to look at him.  
  
  
  
*I can't believe that Seto Kaiba actually saw me dressed  
  
like this. He probably thinks I'm some kind of slut or girl that  
  
wants all of the wrong kind of attention. I'll never have him, I  
  
knew that, but now it's definite,* Tea sighed, forcing back a  
  
depressed little sob as she moved her attention back to the  
  
screen and typing in the commands for the program she was  
  
creating.  
  
It was quite ingenious actually, her computer program. What  
  
it did, or what Tea hoped it would do, was act as an open  
  
communication circuit and minimized ISP connection space on a  
  
phone line. Not just email and pictures, but live video feedback  
  
that got transferred in the exact same manner as instant messages  
  
and emails. And it was also supposed to function on less than a  
  
quarter of a phone line, so that people who only owned one phone  
  
line could be on the internet and use their phones at the same  
  
time without having to have two separate phone lines. That was  
  
her goal. But putting in the correct commands and configuring the  
  
system was turning out to be a little more than she had expected.  
  
As she sighed, she looked over at Nako who was grinning happily.  
  
"What's with you?" Tea asked the college student. Nako  
  
shrugged and turned to her, eyes alight with some emotion.  
  
"I just finished my program for this class, I have a date  
  
with this hot guy tonight, and you are actually wearing something  
  
that shows some skin. You go girl!" Nako exclaimed quietly.  
  
"I've got to tell you the truth, I never thought you'd have the  
  
guts to ever wear anything like that."  
  
"Well then you'd be right, because I don't have the guts,"  
  
Tea confided. "I just grabbed these things this morning in my  
  
rush to get to school. I didn't even realize what I was wearing  
  
till just about five minutes ago. You don't understand how  
  
embarrassing this is for me," she finished. "Especially with  
  
Kaiba right there," she muttered quietly to herself, not knowing  
  
that Nako had heard.  
  
"No way! You have a thing for hot-shot Kaiba? Wow," Nako  
  
whispered excitedly. "So do you dream about him? I mean, *really*  
  
dream about him?" Nako asked, her eyebrows raising to exaggerate  
  
her point. Tea's eyes flew wide open and she struggled to find  
  
the words to fit into her mouth.  
  
"No! I mean, nothing more than kissing, I guess," Tea said  
  
quietly, leaning over the left arm of her chair to keep her words  
  
only within Nako's hearing range. "But I think about his body  
  
sometimes. He's so gorgeous!" Tea felt herself flush to the roots  
  
of her hair with the proclamation and bit her lip nervously. Nako  
  
pointed a finger at her.  
  
"You've actually got a chance getting him if you act like  
  
that. Guys totally go for coy, shy girls. Girl, you'll have him  
  
eating out of your hand. Now all that you have to wait for him to  
  
make the first move. Guys like him are used to having girls  
  
throwing themselves at them and so you have to make -him- want to  
  
go for -you-. Kapeesh?" Nako whispered conspiratorially. Tea's  
  
bright eyes saddened and she turned back to her computer screen.  
  
"That'll never happen Nako. Not even in my dreams." Her  
  
response was so forlorn that Nako didn't even know what to say.  
  
She left her alone for the rest of the period, watching both  
  
Kaiba and Tea out of the corner of her eye carefully. With a smug  
  
grin, she noticed that even as Tea paid devoted attention to her  
  
project, Kaiba would occasionally act like he was scratching his  
  
head and turn to glance at Tea. Then when he turned away, Nako  
  
watched happily as Tea would still cast an almost loving glance  
  
in his direction before focusing once again on the task at hand.  
  
*There's no doubt,* Nako thought, totally giddy in her frame  
  
of mind. *Those two can't help but know they're perfect for each  
  
other, they're just not aware of it yet. I'll give it a month  
  
before they're inseparable and I'll bet my project on it.*  
  
  
  
Walking out to her truck utterly embarrassed, Tea put a hand  
  
to her red face and sighed helplessly. The day had gone horribly.  
  
After her computer class, she had dropped her things in the  
  
hallway, in her rush to stand up had then bashed into Kaiba and  
  
forced a bump to raise on her forehead, she felt sick from the  
  
leers she had gotten at lunch, and her friends hadn't spoken to  
  
her all day to help ease the discomfort she felt in her clothes.  
  
Tea shook her head as she reached her truck and noticed that she  
  
had parked next to Kaiba, who, as she saw, was coming straight  
  
towards his car.  
  
Embarrassment etched itself onto her face again as she  
  
reached for her keys to unlock the door. A rough pair of hands  
  
grabbed hers from behind and shook them, letting the keys drop to  
  
the ground. Indignantly, Tea turned to face the annoying  
  
presence and found three guys standing there, obviously having a  
  
fun time looking her up and down. She scowled and bent to pick  
  
up her keys and heard three high-pitched whistles which stopped  
  
abruptly as she placed her keys and backpack on the hood and  
  
turned to face them angrily, arms crossing.  
  
"What do you want?" she growled, her blue eyes narrowing  
  
dangerously.  
  
"Only what you're offering baby," the guy in the middle  
  
drawled lazily, sauntering up to her and running a hand down her  
  
arm. She jerked away and saw out of the corner of her vision that  
  
Kaiba had stopped and then proceeded on faster towards her  
  
direction.  
  
"Get a life you jerk. Nothing's for sale," Tea snapped  
  
pushing the guy away from her as he advanced again. He laughed  
  
and his buddies joined in, their nasty looks not helping to make  
  
the situation any more comfortable.  
  
"Is there a problem here?" came a voice from off to the  
  
side. Tea turned her head briefly to see Seto Kaiba standing with  
  
his arms crossed, glaring angrily at the three morons.  
  
"Stay out of this Kaiba, it don't concern you," the leader  
  
sneered.  
  
"Oh I'm afraid it does. Though I don't know this girl all  
  
that well, nobody should have to put up with your idiotic  
  
presence and stupidity. You'd better get away from her, asshole,"  
  
Kaiba warned, moving closer.  
  
"You don't scare me Kaiba. The odds are three to one and  
  
after we trash you, nobody's going to be around to protect the  
  
bimbo," the leader challenged, suddenly moving forward and  
  
yanking Tea's arm sharply, bringing her up to him. She let out a  
  
muffled protest as he moved his mouth down over his, her fists  
  
beginning to pound into his stomach. He grunted and pressed  
  
harder against her. Faintly, Tea could hear the sounds of a fight  
  
off to her side but all that she could think about was getting  
  
the monster off of her lips.  
  
Not hesitating, she brought her knee up into his groin and  
  
watched as he stumbled back, letting out a howl of pain before he  
  
charged at her. Tea, thoroughly angry now, was not about to let  
  
him touch her again and made a quick spin, side-stepping him and  
  
ending up behind him. As he turned, she kicked up and into his  
  
chest, thrusting him back against the door of her truck before  
  
lashing out again and smashing his head against the window with  
  
her shoe pressed against his neck.  
  
"Buddy, you picked a fight with the wrong girl. I was  
  
taught at an early age how to make the boys back off. Have a good  
  
nights sleep," she snarled as she released his neck and stepped  
  
forward, pinching her two fingers in a spot on his shoulder. He  
  
lost consciousness immediately and slumped to the ground. She  
  
glared at him and then wiped her mouth, spitting out the  
  
contents of his spit that had been forced inside her mouth. "Most  
  
definitely not a good first."  
  
"That didn't count you know," Kaiba's voice said from  
  
behind her. She turned around, surprised, and saw the other two  
  
guys also on the ground, bruises already forming under their eyes  
  
and blood coming from a split lip on one of them. "It only counts  
  
if you gave the kiss." He stepped towards her over the bodies and  
  
held out his hand to her. "I don't think that we've been  
  
formally introduced. Yesterday in the hall wasn't the greatest  
  
first official meeting. I'm Seto Kaiba," he said, his dark eyes  
  
fixing themselves on her.  
  
"Tea Gardener," Tea replied, thrusting her hand into  
  
Kaiba's. His hand closed around hers and she felt the warmth and  
  
softness that his grip had before he let go. "Thanks for stepping  
  
in to help me. I really appreciate that. And I'm sorry for  
  
bashing into you today. It was kind of hectic," she apologized.  
  
"Yeah, I know. The clothes," he indicated with his eyes,  
  
savoring every piece of her but guarding his eyes carefully to  
  
hide the appreciation from her. "You really shouldn't have been  
  
so nervous in those clothes. Even though you never wear them,  
  
letting people know that you're uncomfortable in them will make  
  
them ridicule you more."  
  
"Thanks. Um, how did you know about the whole clothes  
  
thing? Who told you I don't usually dress like this?" Tea  
  
questioned, surprisingly anticipating his answer, wondering if  
  
he had been watching her. Kaiba shrugged as he picked up her bag  
  
and moved to unlock her door for her, stretching to place her bag  
  
in the passenger seat and then turning to hand the keys to her.  
  
"Your expression when you came into class today so  
  
breathless," he told her, remembering how incredible she had  
  
looked after her sprint. "You looked around the class, noticed  
  
that all of the guys were looking at you, you looked like you had  
  
just found out what you were wearing, and you turned a little  
  
red," Kaiba said, trying to give her a little dignity by not  
  
saying how read she had actually turned. Tea rolled her eyes.  
  
"I did not turn a little red, I became an official  
  
strawberry. But thank you for trying to be a gentleman about it,  
  
there aren't many guys like you in this city," Tea said as she  
  
moved to her door and stepped into her truck. Kaiba stepped back  
  
and moved around the front of his car to get into his own car.  
  
Leaning over the top of his car, he gave a small chuckle.  
  
"You're welcome. Those were some pretty awesome moves you  
  
put on that jerk. Where'd you learn?" he asked, placing his head  
  
down into his arms on his car.  
  
"That move was completely a mixed breed. When I was little,  
  
I took ballet and a little while later started to take a whole  
  
bunch of self-defense classes. My parents thought it would be  
  
beneficial since we traveled so much and after awhile, I started  
  
incorporating them into each other. I got kicked out of ballet  
  
for adding in the kicks and punches and breathing exercises which  
  
I still feel made it look better and I got about three different  
  
black belts for putting them together in my self-defense classes.  
  
It made my moves so much more fluid." Tea stopped and smiled a  
  
little then looked over at Kaiba. He gave sarcastic smirk and  
  
nodded.  
  
"Well, I'm guessing it looked a lot nicer than what I was  
  
doing to those two goons, so I suppose it works in multiple ways.  
  
See you later," Kaiba said, giving her a little salute before  
  
stepping into his car and turning it on, driving off seconds  
  
later. Tea watched him drive off with love-sick eyes and closed  
  
them momentarily, almost fearing that it had all been a dream.  
  
But when she opened her eyes again, the three guys were still  
  
laying unconscious on the ground. Giving a little squeak of  
  
happiness, Tea closed her door and pulled on her seatbelt, making  
  
sure that when she backed up she missed all limbs and bodies  
  
laying on the asphalt.  
  
  
  
When Tea got home, she was greeted by her parents who were  
  
just unloading their luggage. Her father dropped his suitcase and  
  
caught her in his arms with a big hug as she jumped towards him  
  
happily. Tea's eyes looked past her father's shoulder to her  
  
mother who looked at her disapprovingly before moving to the  
  
front door with her luggage, not even saying hello. Tears  
  
threatened to fall from her eyes but she forced them away as her  
  
father pulled back and grinned at her.  
  
"Hello Princess," he said with cheery green eyes. "How are  
  
you?"  
  
"I'm great Dad. And the girls are pretty good too. They  
  
didn't argue with me once. Now I can't say the same about them  
  
arguing with each other..." Tea joked, "but they did  
  
substantially well. Did you enjoy being in Europe?"  
  
"Yes and no," Kevin said to his daughter, slinging an arm  
  
over her shoulder and reaching down to grab his suitcase again.  
  
"It was the usual 'We want your business Mr. Hurikama' this and  
  
'Do you plan on attending the Billion Dollar Ball in New York'  
  
that. I'm telling you, I'd like to throw a bomb in the press room  
  
and see how many of them I can rid myself of. But the sights were  
  
breath-taking and we got to meet the Queen of England. She  
  
seemed a little snobby though, as if she'd done nothing but  
  
looked down her nose at people all her life. I don't know, maybe  
  
it was just me. We didn't mesh very well and argued on numerous  
  
subjects. I think that she was glad to see me go, but she seemed  
  
fond of Tamoya."  
  
"Yeah, Mom would get along with the Queen pretty well," Tea  
  
muttered. "Did you announce anything special? You've always got  
  
something-or-other to say at those huge conferences," Tea chirped  
  
as she closed the door to her truck and the trunk of her parents'  
  
car. Her father's eyes seemed to take on a more serious glow  
  
before he opened the door that led from the carport into the  
  
washroom and pushing the small button that closed the garage door  
  
and secured their vehicles. Tea followed him in and said nothing  
  
more, puzzled by his silence.  
  
"We'll talk about that a little later, Honey. I've got  
  
something important to tell you... How about we do it over dinner  
  
tomorrow, huh?" Kevin asked, placing his suitcase by the washer  
  
and dryer and leaving it there so that the laundry within could  
  
be taken care of. They opened up the second door that led from  
  
that room into the kitchen as Tea turned to him, only slightly  
  
worried now from her father's tone of voice.  
  
"That sounds fine Dad. What do you want for dinner?" Tea  
  
asked as she moved for the fridge.  
  
"Your mother and I ate on the plane, we won't be having  
  
anything. I think we'll just go straight to bed. That jet-lag is  
  
already starting to catch up on me," Tea's father sighed as he  
  
stifled a yawn.  
  
"Alright then," Tea said. "The girls and I will just have  
  
the rest of the pizza that was left over from last night. You go  
  
ahead and go to bed, the girls and I will be quiet," Tea  
  
promised, gently pushing her father out of the kitchen and  
  
towards the stairs. He yawned again and gave her another hug  
  
before moving up the stairs and down the hallway to the left to  
  
his room. After hearing the click of his door, Tea sighed and  
  
went to the living room, sinking into the large leather recliner  
  
and folding her feet underneath her. She grabbed a pillow that  
  
was flopped in the corner of the chair and brought it into her  
  
arms, placing her chin on top of it, feeling totally melancholy.  
  
Not about her clothes or what had happened at school, she was far  
  
past that.  
  
It was her mother's attitude towards her that had depressed  
  
her. She hadn't even gotten to say hello before receiving the  
  
nasty glare and the cold shoulder. What had she done to deserve  
  
it this time? It couldn't be her clothes because it was her  
  
mother most of the time who bought her clothes exactly like those  
  
that she was wearing, saying that she would look more grown-up if  
  
she dressed like that. It was mind boggling to say the least and  
  
Tea found that she couldn't think on it anymore for fear of  
  
crying. She looked up suddenly as she heard her little sisters'  
  
shrieks from upstairs and the amused laughter of her parents.  
  
Tea could just imagine the two little girls jumping onto  
  
their parents' bed and crawling quickly to hug them. The smiles  
  
on both her mom and dad's faces would easily be worth more than a  
  
million bucks to Tea, but she had only ever gotten smiles from  
  
her father.  
  
Shaking her head, Tea got up and walked to the bottom of the  
  
stairs, placing a hand on the banister and one up to her mouth  
  
like a megaphone. "Mom, Dad! I'm going out for a little while!  
  
I'll see you later, okay?" Tea waited patiently for a response  
  
before hearing her dad call out that that would be fine. Rushing  
  
out the kitchen door with her keys, Tea got into her truck  
  
hurriedly and pulled out of the garage, making sure to shut it  
  
with the remote as she pulled away from the house.  
  
Not even knowing where she was headed, Tea just drove. The  
  
colorful lights of shopping centers and small stores with  
  
blinking red signs that said 'closed' reflected against the  
  
windows of her truck as she directed her truck down the streets,  
  
the cab of her truck silent as she refused to turn the radio on.  
  
Silence was more appropriate at the moment. Music would only  
  
drown out her thoughts and keep her from spending some time alone  
  
with her really deep feelings. The feelings that she wouldn't  
  
dare voice to anyone... ever.  
  
When the lights of the city faded behind her, Tea found  
  
herself traveling in the same direction that she remembered  
  
driving Mokuba home to the other day. She smiled silently at the  
  
thought of the little boy, his frightened eyes changing into  
  
bright blue pools of happiness as he shouted out at everything  
  
he saw while sitting in the passenger seat. Since Tea hadn't  
  
really been paying attention to anything but Mokuba that day, as  
  
she drove past the driveway that led down to his home, she  
  
abruptly stopped the truck, rolling down the window and gawking.  
  
Mokuba was loaded!  
  
The long, private driveway wound down a road that was lined  
  
on both sides by tall green trees that threw dark shadows over  
  
the road, their roots buried in the lush grass that grew all over  
  
the property as far as she could see. When it ended, it looped  
  
into a circle that enclosed a large marble fountain that spouted  
  
crystal-clear water from the statue's raised, cupped hands. It  
  
was beautiful. From what Tea could see, it looked like a gentle  
  
depiction of the Greek goddess of Wisdom, Athena. In fact, Tea  
  
was sure of it because near the statue's feet, a helmet, spear,  
  
and shield lay haphazardly in a pile, forgotten by the goddess in  
  
her moment of reflection. How similar Tea felt to that statue at  
  
that very moment.  
  
Behind the goddess, a large house rose to a staggering  
  
height, perhaps three stories tall, elegant balconies with  
  
carved, cushioned benches and small stone coffee tables appearing  
  
wherever there was a door on the upper levels. On the bottom  
  
floor, there were larger windows that stood to let great amounts  
  
of light in for the living room and dens. Tea knew what each part  
  
of the mansion was for. She had one herself, not far from here  
  
that was nearly the same. Her father had gotten rather  
  
extravagant one year for her birthday and had built her a  
  
mansion. It was built for multiple purposes, both as a gift and  
  
an object with which to ask forgiveness. Stupid amazement hadn't  
  
been able to convey her feelings that day when her father had  
  
taken her there and though he had been so eager, Tea had refused.  
  
She had explained to him that the only thing she wanted was  
  
his love and attention when he could give it. There had been a  
  
little disappointment in his eyes when he realized that she  
  
didn't care for the gift as much as he thought she would have,  
  
but was glad that her mind was focusing on things that mattered  
  
instead of material possessions. Nonetheless, the mansion was  
  
still in her name and legally belonged to her. All she had to do,  
  
if she ever wanted, was simply transfer her things to that  
  
monster of a house and call the electricity and water companies  
  
to get service started.  
  
As Tea shook her head of the memory and focused on the  
  
mansion in front of her, she watched as the bright yellow of a  
  
light was flicked on in one of the upper rooms and a person took  
  
a seat near the window. *Probably Mokuba's dad,* Tea thought  
  
automatically. There were no other lights on in the house except  
  
that one, which didn't seem all too bright, probably just a table  
  
lamp, and Tea wondered why before noticing the figure stand up.  
  
Though she couldn't see, she could almost feel eyes staring at  
  
her through the darkness and distance and a warm shiver spiraled  
  
through her body. Embarrassment crept into her face when she  
  
realized what she might be asked if someone found her outside  
  
just staring at someone's house and started up her truck, driving  
  
down the road as fast as the speed limit would allow.  
  
***  
  
End of Part 2! I got this part out a little quicker than I thought I would, but don't think that Part 3 is going to be out as quick. First of all, I have to finish writing it and then I have to edit it, maybe even send it to my beta-reader if she's not too busy, then actually submit it and school has been getting steadily busier. I have to drop another of my numerous clubs because I'm so busy. Oh well, them's the breaks. Please keep those lovely critiques coming, they make me smile and blush.  
  
Question of the week: Which character do you think the show should focus on a little bit more? There are obviously some that are neglected, and though I love Yugi to pieces (as well as his Yami's voice... Mmmmmmmmm), I believe the show focuses a bit too much on him. Let's just forget the fact that the show is named after him, okay..........  
  
Atlantis *^_^*  
  
godscartungrrl@netscape.net 


	3. Chapter 3

Riddles of the Heart written by Atlantis ( 2002  
  
Alright, this would be the *hopefully* long-awaited Part 3. It would have been out sooner, but school decided to go bipolar on me and made life incredibly hectic for me, not to mention I got a pretty bad cold that knocked me out for four days. Anyways, I would like to thank all of you who critiqued so nicely on Part 2. I'm getting really lovely feedback and I appreciate all of you taking the time to write them.  
  
This chapter was a little difficult for me to write, as you will probably see, because I'm not too experienced in writing circumstances like this, but I tried my best. I fixed Téa's name to have the accent over the 'e' so that it would look better. My sister told me that her name looked like 'tea', as in the drink, so I had to fix that. At the end, I threw in a little something for a particular critiquer whose last comment made me laugh until I cried. Special critiquer, you'll know that the 'something' is for you when you see it. Hope you all like!  
  
Okay, I don't own Seto Kaiba, which means I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh!. If I did, Kaiba would be the first one I would let you all know that I own and I would rub it in your faces that he was mine and not yours. So there.  
  
Rating: PG-13  
  
*****************************************************************  
  
It (Love) is not glad about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.  
  
1 Corinthians 13:6&7  
  
*****************************************************************  
  
PART 3  
  
It was the phone. The freakin' phone was ringing and had woken her up. Téa woke herself up barely enough to be considered the step before unconsciousness to open her eyes and stare at the numbers on her alarm clock.  
  
"Five A.M.?! Who the hell..." Téa exclaimed, her hand reaching out to grab the phone. Then, the ringing stopped. Her hand froze in mid air, her eyes blinking and baffled before shrugging and pulling her arm back under the covers. She turned over and fell back asleep, not thinking twice about the phone call.  
  
It was nearly two hours later when Téa woke up again, the sounds of rushing feet echoing through the hallway. Knowing that her sisters had left early that morning to rush over to a friend's house, where they would then leave for a trip to the beach for the weekend, Téa became confused. She sat up in bed, rubbing her eyes and adjusting a spaghetti strap that had slipped in her sleep. Grumbling, Téa pulled the covers off and swung her feet over the edge. Throwing her hair back into a loose ponytail, she proceeded onto her full-length mirror to quickly make sure her blue cow pajama pants weren't on crooked before going for her door. As she twisted the knob, out of the corner of her eyes, she saw a fluorescent yellow sheet of paper that was filled with scribbled handwriting, which had not been there the night before.  
  
Her eyes narrowed in puzzlement as she moved to her desk and lifted the paper to her line of vision. As she scanned over the scribbled note, a foreboding feeling akin to abandonment and mounting sadness overcame her senses as the words of the letter passed by her eyes.  
  
Princess, your mother and I were called for an emergency meeting in New York this morning and we have to be there be early tomorrow morning. The flight is a good twelve hours, not including possible layovers and the time it'll take to switch planes in San Francisco, Austin, and Philadelphia, so we had to leave this morning. By the time you read this, we'll be gone already. I promise I'll make this up to you somehow Princess, and we'll have that dinner and talk too, like I promised you. Give the girls our love. We'll see you when we get back! Love, Daddy   
  
Téa brushed a tear away then raced out of her room when she heard the front door slam, note still in hand. Stopping only briefly in the living room after her mad dash down the stairs to search for her shoes, Téa bolted through the large double front doors to maybe catch her parents as they left. Her steps were immediately halted on the edge of her front porch, the note slipping from her fingers as time came to a screeching stop.  
  
Everything moved in slow motion as Téa took in all in. Her father had just backed out of the driveway, his car in the middle of the street as he was in the process of straightening the vehicle to drive away. She saw him look at her, his eyes sparkling with joy at seeing her and regret for having to leave her yet again. Her mother didn't look at her. Then it was all gone in the blink of an eye.  
  
Two trucks came speeding around the opposite corners of the small road, spiraling out of control towards her parents. They had no idea what was even happening before they were hit from both sides, the small car crumpling between the two trucks which pounded into the sides unmercifully. Téa watched helplessly as her parents were crushed inside of the car. She couldn't even find a scream in her throat, though she wished she could in the next moment because the worst sound reached her ears... the tearing of metal.  
  
Red horror appeared before her as the force from the two trucks still had them moving, and they impact was ripping her parents' car in half. She moved forward half a step as the rear of the car went flying into a neighbor's yard and the front came barreling into their own yard, plowing over the little mailbox and finally coming to rest in the rose garden just in front of the house. Faintly, Téa's mind registered that joggers who had witnessed the accident were shouting to call 9-1-1, but Téa did not hear them.  
  
Instead, she blinked out of her stupor and ran to the severed car, desperately searching for life. As she reached it, the stopped before continuing towards the drivers' side, the smell of death and blood hanging heavily in the air. As she got to her father, the door fell off of the car where it had been hanging on by a single bolt and clambered over it to him. His body slumped out through the opening, his seatbelt having been ripped apart by flying glass shards. She wrapped her arms around his unmoving figure, resting his bloody head on her chest, cradling it gently. Feeling movement, she leaned back a little to see her father looking at her through death-tinted eyes.  
  
His lips mouth the words, "I'm sorry," but no sound came out, then his eyes rolled shut. Silent tears streamed from Téa's eyes as she held her father's lifeless body, murmuring "Daddy" brokenly as she rocked back and forth.  
  
An ambulance arrived on the scene less that three minutes later and the paramedics surveyed the scene and then approached Téa cautiously, two of them gently pulling her away from her father. She tried to struggle against them, crying out, tears leaving clean streaks down her dirty face. They managed to get her away and covered her with a blanket, one of the paramedics trying to console her while she watched the others shake their heads sadly and pull her mother and father's mangled bodies from the wreckage. With great care, the placed them onto stretchers and covered them with black sheets, their eyes to never open again and see the light of day.  
  
The police were there too, talking to the drivers of the trucks. They had survived. Téa glared at them, her hands shaking as she clenched the blanket, and she was filled with indescribable fury. Those two were alive, her parents weren't. They were hardly injured at all, a couple of bruises on one and a head bandage on the other. That was it. Angry tears rolled down her cheeks as she tuned out the paramedic who was talking to her.  
  
A policeman walked over to her and had to touch her arm and quietly say, "Miss?" before she would respond to him . Blinking, Téa looked up at the older man and noticed offhand that he needed to shave, dark stubble covering his chin, before she realized that his lips were moving and he was talking to her.  
  
"What?" she asked blankly. He sighed in understanding, having been to a good many accident scenes during his career.  
  
"Miss, would you please explain to me what you saw and your relationship to the deceased," he repeated for her. Téa became pale the moment the words were out of his mouth, her face flooding with white until her face resembled that of death itself. Her mouth went dry, she felt like she was choking.  
  
There was silence for a few minutes and the paramedic walked away, shaking his head. But the policeman waited patiently, not saying a word and only shifting his weight from foot to foot ever minute or so. With insides shaking, Téa looked up at him with hesitant yet thankful eyes as she slowly unfolded what she had seen to him. The experience, still being freshly engraved on her mind, made it feel like she was opening an old wound each time, the pain tearing at her so that she was forced to stop a couple of times and cry. When she finished, the cop looked at her, then his notebook, and back at her again. Téa thought she saw him gulp.  
  
"And... your relation to the deceased?" he asked quietly, meeting her eyes only for the fraction of a second before retreating them to the safety of his notepad.  
  
"Parents. They were my parents," Téa whispered.  
  
  
  
The police had left, the paramedics too, in the ambulance that carried her parents' dead bodies. Her neighbors all had horrified looks on their faces and hadn't dared to get within fifty yards of the young woman, for fear of making her relive the accident yet again. Téa simply sat on the steps of her front porch, looking out at her yard and seeing nothing. She would have given anything to have a comforting word from anyone, even though she knew it wouldn't help. But none were given.  
  
Her empty house sat behind her, the halls echoing with a haunting silence. It was eerie and Téa stood up, still wrapped in the blanket given to her and went inside. She wanted to move faster, but after crying for so long, she couldn't find the strength. After getting up the stairs, grabbing her keys from the top of her desk and going back down, she locked the front door and went into the garage. Climbing into her truck, she put the key in the ignition, but hesitated in turning it. As a tear slipped down her cheek, she resolutely turned it and closed her door.  
  
She sat and listened to the soft hum of the engine while the garage filled with exhaust, all thoughts of continuing on with life gone. The air was starting to get heavy and the smell of carbon monoxide was already seeping in through the doors. There was nothing left, her parents were gone. Death was the only way. And, Téa smirked sadly, it seemed appropriate that she die in a vehicle just like they had.  
  
All of the good times were in the past now; the people who had given them to her stolen from her in the blink of an eye. She would never again get to go on one of those pointless trips to New York or Moscow, never have to be the perfect little girl again. She would never get to see her father again, never see her mother smile at her little sisters or laugh with the president's wife...  
  
But her sisters. What about them? Did Téa have the right to leave them alone in the world without her parents *and* her? And who would make those two reckless drivers pay for the lives they had taken?  
  
Téa immediately grabbed the remote for the garage door and pressed the button frantically, waiting impatiently for it to open while her oxygen continued to be stolen. As soon as it was up, she shoved the truck into REVERSE and backed out of the garage, then putting it back into PARK, threw open her door and fell onto the grass just next to the driveway, gasping. Her body was wracked with coughing fits as it gained back all of the air it had lost, her lungs greedily taking in as much breathable air as humanly possible. When she opened her eyes, she was stunned to see a large brown cloud being pushed out of her garage by the gentle prodding of the wind. It looked so dirty. Téa shivered. She had been breathing that filth!  
  
Standing up shakily, Téa pushed up off of the ground and moved to her truck, which had also been cleaned out by the gentle wind. She had to get away from her house! Just being in the front yard filled her with emptiness, trying to tempt her back to where she had just come from. Giving her head a sharp shake, she climbed back into her truck and closed the door, pulling her seatbelt across her and driving away. As she stopped at the first red light, she remembered that she was still in her pajamas and had left the blanket at home, but refused to go back and change.  
  
Nervously drumming her fingers on the steering wheel, Téa waited impatiently for the light to turn and glanced all around her, warily watching all the vehicles that surrounded her. When the light changed, her foot grew a little heavy on the gas pedal before she realized that she was speeding. Her mind had unconsciously been trying to get her away from the cars and trucks driving on the side and behind her.  
  
"I'm gonna be spending more time with the police if I don't slow down," Téa chided herself. She spotted Yugi's grandfather's card shop and knew that the guys would be there, only she didn't want to speak to them now. Her emotions were already raw and still bleeding and she didn't have the strength to tell them what had happened. They would just have to hear about it on the news. She thought for a moment of stopping in and just forcing herself not to tell them, but there was no way that that would be a possibility. They always asked how she and her family were doing, especially when they hadn't seen in a while. And Téa just couldn't lie to them. They were her good friends, but there were some things that she would always keep from them. The grief caused by this experience had just been added to that list of secrets.  
  
Taking the road that led out of town and to a secluded park, Téa gratefully noted that there wasn't anyone else on the road. The tall trees on either side of the road acted like a long pathway, their leaves a dark green, swaying gently with the gentle breeze. It was another couple of minutes before Téa passed by Mokuba's house and smiled kindly before driving on. It was another minute when she passed by her own house, the one she had never lived in. She looked at it thoughtfully as she drove by, but continued on, thinking harder.  
  
Her eyes lit up as the park came into view, its serene landscape, green grass, tall trees, and glistening lake cheering her up a little. She pulled into the small parking lot and brought her truck to a stop, then sat in the drivers' seat for a few moments. It had been such a long time since she had been out here and seeing it made her feel more at ease. Téa pulled her keys from the ignition and slipped out of her truck, careful to lock the doors and place her keys in her pocket before walking into the grass. There were small benches along the edge of the little lake at different intervals and a picnic table on the other side. Other than that, there was no indication of human intervention whatsoever.  
  
Wrapping her arms around her body, she moved toward the edge and looked out over the expanse of the lake, the surface dancing with the bright, reflected light of the sun. It looked like a liquid mirror. To a regular city-person, it would seem as if there were no sounds at all in the park, silence reigning supreme in the pristine world. But to Téa, all of the sounds that many missed were crystal clear to her: the rustle of the leaves against each other in the trees, the sound of the wind as it moved through the grass, the gentle lapping of the water against the edge of the lake, birds twittering to each other from opposite ends of the park... They were all beautiful sounds. However, she smiled silkily, she could most definitely think of one sound that would be better than all of these put together.  
  
"Excuse me? Téa?" Téa blinked, her mind was playing dirty tricks on her. She turned and saw Seto Kaiba standing just a few feet from her, looking at her with a dark shine in his eyes. He twisted the corners of his mouth up into a slight smile when her surprised gaze met his. "Am I intruding? I apologize for interrupting you," he said as he put his hands into the pockets of his jacket. Téa stood dumb-founded for a few seconds, just looking at him before answering.  
  
Good lord that boy knew how to look delicious! He had on a pair of black boots, black jeans, a dark navy blue button-up shirt, and a black leather jacket. His dark brown hair was falling into his eyes and Téa's hand itched to run her hands through his hair and brush it away from his eyes. Blinking out of her admiration, she blushed and looked down, turning back to the lake.  
  
"You're not interrupting anything. I was just admiring the scenery and listening to the quiet," she said, hoping that he wouldn't figure out that he was included in the 'scenery'.  
  
"Do you come here often?" Kaiba asked, moving to stand next to her. Téa bit her lip and shook her head.  
  
"I used to come her a lot with my... my family when I was younger," Téa choked out, viciously fighting back the tears. "I haven't been out here in a long while though."  
  
"It's been a while since I visited this place too. Life just gets so busy sometimes," Kaiba revealed, wondering in shock why he was finding it so easy to talk to this girl. He felt as if he could tell her anything and he hardly knew her. "You don't have to answer this, but why are you wearing your pajamas? They are your pajamas, right?" he asked, turning his head to look at her. He certainly wasn't complaining about the view. That small white spaghetti strap showed plenty of her long, creamy arms, her stomach peeking out at the bottom, and she looked adorable in those blue cow pants. He hadn't ever seen her with her hair up either and absently thought that it looked good on her.  
  
*Only because you can see her neck better and think about what it would be like to kiss it,* he threw in mentally. His eyes widened, mind ready to contradict that thought, but as he looked at her more, he realized that it was true. Kaiba watched as she bit her lip and blushed before opening her eyes and looking at him. The clarity in her blue eyes was astounding, their color looking just as clear as the lake.  
  
"Well, when I woke up this morning, I found a note that my parents had left me, saying that they had to go on an emergency business trip. I didn't bother getting dressed and I rushed downstairs to maybe get a chance to get in a last-minute goodbye. I threw my hair up in a ponytail and hurried out the front door and..." she suddenly trailed off, eyes widening in horror. Tears spilled down her cheeks and she opened her mouth, gasping as her eyes looked past Kaiba, seeing her memories instead of the real world. Kaiba took a step towards her, hand reaching up to touch her arm before she closed her eyes painfully and sank to the ground, hands covering her face.  
  
Kaiba knelt down beside her and realized that whatever had happened to make her this way was unimaginable. It reminded him of when he had watched his parents' death. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her head to rest on his chest, not understanding the sudden need to comfort her and protect her. She sobbed brokenly and wrapped her arms around his waist, seeking everything that he was offering to her. Kaiba put his chin on the top of her head gently, kissing her hair and whispering encouragement to her quietly. He felt her body shake as she cried against him, and felt as if he would break down as well.  
  
They sat their for more than half of an hour, each blindly seeking answers to questions that life had thrown to them. Téa had stopped shaking and merely rested her head against Kaiba's chest, still breathing raggedly. Kaiba kept talking softly to her and she calmed more, amazed at how compassionate he was. Never in a million years would she have thought him to care about someone he hardly knew. Tears tried to raise once again in her eyes at the peace she felt with him, but she wiped them away before they could fall. Hesitantly, she pulled away from his a little and looked up at him, her blue eyes red and nose pink from crying so much. A tear fell, unbidden, down her cheek and she watched as he moved his thumb to her cheek, holding lightly to her jaw with a gentle hand, and wiped it away.  
  
"Thank you," Téa whispered, not moving out of his arms. He smiled softly at her.  
  
"It's no problem," he replied quietly. There was a long period of silence, the two of them simply looking at each other, holding each other.  
  
"I want to tell you what happened. I have to tell *somebody* what happened," she said, her voice still low as she spoke. "But I don't know if I can." Téa dropped her head, shutting her eyes tightly.  
  
"You can. You have to. Something as horrible as whatever happened to you shouldn't be kept inside. If you don't say anything, it will slowly eat you up inside. I want to listen to you, and I want you to tell me what happened," Kaiba said slowly. He watched as Téa slowly brought her head up and looked at him, her eyes grateful and shining with unshed tears. "Let's get comfortable first though. Here, come on," he said as he stood up and offered his hand to her. She took it and he pulled her up, keeping her close to his side as he looked around. Pulling her towards the nearest tree, he sat down with his back to the tree and folded his legs, bringing Téa down in front of him. "You'll probably be able to tell me better if you're not looking at me, so I'm going to have you face the lake. Alright?" he asked. She nodded and was stunned as Kaiba turned her around and then pulled her into his lap, wrapping his arms around her waist.  
  
Even though Téa felt horrible and knew that reliving her memories would be painful, she couldn't help the way she felt so good when Kaiba wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her back against his chest. Her body felt immensely warm and tingly all over. A dark voice inside her head told her to just forget telling him what had happened and just turn around and kiss him. But with that thought, Téa became mortified that he was having such a large affect on her and simply relaxed in his arms, sighing as she looked out at the lake.  
  
"When... when I got out the front door, I saw my parents, and I was so happy. My dad was just pulling out of the driveway and he saw me. I remember him looking so sad when he saw me, he didn't want to leave again. He hated being gone all the time and he had thought that he would get a chance to stay at least for a little while. He was wrong. Anyways, I saw him and I looked at my mother, but like always she didn't look back. I don't understand why she never loved me, and I feel like I missed out on a lot by not having her love. Then, it was all gone, in the blink of an eye." Téa paused and took a deep breath and Kaiba tensed behind her. He felt as if he was reliving his own past and had an idea of how her story would end. The way she was talking about her parents, in past-tense, he was sure that he was right.  
  
"The trucks came speeding around opposite corners of our road and... my parents, they never had a chance. They were crushed between the two trucks and then the car ripped in half. I watched as my father died in my arms. He tried to apologize to me, even with his last breath. My mother died on impact," she cried, her voice seizing up. "In my arms, he died in my arms!" Téa shouted as she wrapped her arms tightly around herself, hugging her body tightly to feel something other than the pain. Immediately she was wrapped in another pair of arms, moving around her shoulders and pulling her back, as she had leaned forward during her retelling.  
  
Kaiba simply held her, not saying anything at all. He was afraid his own voice would give into the raw emotion he felt, that she felt. It was as if he had swallowed something tangible and could feel every ounce of pain that she felt. Her story was his own and the bond he felt with her at that moment shattered many of the walls that he had built up around his heart, realizing that there were others who suffered like he did. He pulled her closer into him, comforting her as well as himself. Her arms touched his and her hands sought out his, seeking physical contact, a healing element.  
  
Their fingers entwined and Téa cried quietly, not aware that just behind her, Kaiba allowed a few buried tears to escape as well. His head rested on her shoulder and he began to talk to her, just talking about the scenery and school, focusing on making the hurt go away for at least a short time. He told her about every beautiful thing he had ever seen and described in detail all of the exotic places he had been to, making sure to only speak of the way silence felt good and gentle joys. For a minute, he debated over whether or not to tell her about his little brother, but thought better of it, knowing that he would break down thinking about how Mokuba had never gotten to really experience his parents' love and Téa may start crying again thinking about her loss.  
  
When he couldn't think of anything else to think about, he began to place soft kisses on her bare shoulders and neck, letting out his own hurt and healing hers. He was a bit surprised when Téa actually relaxed more into his arms instead of moving away. Making sure that he kept a hold on one of her hands, he wrapped the free arm around her waist and nuzzled his face against her neck, smelling her hair and breathing warmth against her skin.  
  
She closed her eyes and sighed quietly, obviously allowing her wounded soul to open to Kaiba's tenderness. It never even occurred to her that she shouldn't be letting him touch her at such a pained time, realizing instead that she needed it. Her whole body felt relaxed and free rather than tight and heavy from what had happened. Téa felt as if she belonged there, in his arms, like she had been destined for them. There was nothing that weighed her down now as she let his kisses and the quiet sounds around her, the sound of the water and the rustling leaves, soak into her being and restore her peace.  
  
Neither of them knew how long they sat there, remaining in each other's comforting arms until late in the afternoon when the sun began its descent down from the heavens. Kaiba had long-since stopped kissing her and had just held her, not daring to let go of her. His heart had grown a little joyous when he realized that she was content in his arms and had been at ease enough to fall asleep. Her quiet breathing was steady and soft, her form displaying her soft form and delicate beauty. Kaiba allowed numerous smiles spread across his lips as he just sat and watched her sleep, not feeling so alone in the world anymore.  
  
She made him feel like she had been the missing piece of his puzzled life and had filled every empty spot in his lonely soul. How had she affected him in only a few short days? Of course he had known her from class for the better part of the school year, but he hadn't actually spoken to her or learned her name till three days ago. It was strange how he had let her access his trust and gain it entirely. There was nothing that could rationally explain it, but he felt that it had something to do with her, as a person, and how they seemed to be kindred spirits. He looked down as he felt her move in his arms and smiled at her when she opened her eyes, a bright blue after her needed rest. He marveled at their clarity before he realized that she was speaking.  
  
"Kaiba, you stayed with me? This entire time?" she asked as she gave a small yawn. He nodded and her blue eyes widened as she sat up. "Why?" she asked, moving out of his arms and turning around to face him as she folded her legs beneath her and leaned forward a little.  
  
"I just... I don't know. I guess I felt like I couldn't leave you. And besides, you were sleeping and obviously needed it. There was no way I was going to disturb you after what you went through today. You were also sleeping on me," he tried to joke. She blushed and smiled, biting her lip in embarrassment.  
  
"I'm sorry," Téa said, looking up. She didn't realize that her innocent face came off looking rather coy and forced Kaiba to forcefully control his buried male instincts and keep from kissing her. Instead, he swallowed and willed his eyes not to darken with desire, dumping a cold bucket of realization over himself to help him do so. She had lost her mother and father that very morning and she didn't need some newly, over- hormonal young man of nineteen wanting to kiss her breathless. His devil- conscience snickered at him.  
  
*Buddy, you need to get laid, and bad,* it laughed at him. He blushed outwardly and good-conscience popped up and shoved the devious thing to the back of his mind and hog-tied it, making sure that it would never say anything like that again. *This is what happens when you get the hots for a total babe with legs and a body like THAT,* it added before good-conscience shoved a gag into it's mouth and then wrapped duct tape around it's head to keep it from going anywhere. Smiling appreciatively at his work, good- conscience folded his arms and allowed Kaiba to answer Téa without worrying about a hostile take-over of his mind.  
  
"It's totally fine with me. I was actually pretty comfortable," he replied. Kaiba watched as Téa breathed in relief before looking at him directly again.  
  
"I need to go home," she said, the sobering thoughts of the memories at her home bringing a sadness into her eyes. Kaiba nearly thought he died when he watched her spirit close up on itself and become silent. He couldn't stand the idea of her going to face the demons imposed upon her that morning alone. His next words came without thought but he didn't regret saying them.  
  
"If you don't want to be alone, you could stay at my house," he said, not realizing that he had even said them till he noticed the shock registering on Téa's face. Kaiba watched as she blinked and seemed to consider his words before finally shaking her head 'no'. He understood. She didn't want too much comfort. She wanted to be able to feel the pain of her loss and remember them for their love by herself.  
  
"No thanks, but that incredibly sweet of you. I think that I need to go home and face my fears. To start the road to recovery from this, I have to start somewhere, right?" she asked as she pushed against her knees and stood. Kaiba nodded and rose as well. She walked away a few steps then hesitated and suddenly turned and lunged at Kaiba, wrapping her arms around him in a tight hug. He wrapped his arms around her back as she cried on his shirt before she pulled away and wiped the tears from her face. "Thank you so much for being here for me today, even if it was by accident. Your presence was absolutely priceless to me, especially since I know I was so close to breaking down, again," she said quietly, "and I hope that someday I can repay you for the ultimate kindness that you showed me today Seto Kaiba. I know that you and I don't know each other very well, but I feel as if I've known you all my life, and although it may be forward of me, I'd like to be your friend." Téa stopped and studied Kaiba's face, dreading that he might treat the day as a one-time-thing. He pursed his lips together and then smiled, his eyes softening dramatically.  
  
"I would really like that," he told her sincerely. Her eyes sparkled and she parted her lips, almost ready to say something before stopping and reaching for his hand. He took it quietly and they walked side-by-side back to the small parking lot where Kaiba helped her into her truck and watched her drive away before climbing into his Porsche and traveling the short distance to his own home, thoughts centered on one very special girl.  
  
***  
  
End of Part 3. How many of you liked the interaction between Seto and Téa in here? I did! I'm raising my hand... see! My wish is that Part 4 will be out within 2 weeks or so, but maybe 3 since next weekend is Thanksgiving for those of us in the U.S. and I'll be spending time with my family. But I will try.  
  
Question of the week: Okies, here's a good one. As an author, I'm always wondering what types of stuff people want to read. This question isn't for me in particular, though I may use some of the ideas, but I'm just plain curious. What are your favorite types of Yu-Gi-Oh! fics? Other anime fics? For example, Egypt-type stories, fantasy, alternate universe, scripted (hey, some people write like that, so gotta ask), etc.  
  
Also, one last thing to add. This is a horrible plug for myself, but I write Sailor Moon fanfics as well, so if any of you would like to check them out and let me know what you think, I would appreciate it muchly! Thanks.  
  
Atlantis *^_^*  
  
godscartungrrl@netscape.net 


	4. Chapter 4

Riddles of the Heart written by Atlantis ( 2002  
  
Okie day, here, right here people, is Part 4. Didn't think I'd get it out so soon? Well, honestly, neither did I, but I went through a psycho writing frenzy Thanksgiving night at about ten or eleven at night and stayed up until two writing it. There was about half done already, but I added a whole friggin' bunch, so this'll be a good long chapter. I hope you all appreciate my effort to keep you happy. (Actually, it makes me ecscatic just finishing a chapter, but don't tell anyone. I don't do this just for the people who enjoy my stuff, you know, I do it for me too.)  
  
There was a certain critiquer who mentioned something having to do with Téa's last name. I know it seems confusing right now, but she's got two last names and it'll all be explained, probably by the next chapter. I am aware her last name is Gardener, but I have a few reasons for calling her father by a different last name. I just wanted to straighten that out.  
  
For those of you who liked the last part, which was everybody as far as I saw unless there was some hidden innuendo in those kind critiques, you will LOVE this part. I pulled out all the stops and I'm quite pleased with the end result, so I'm hoping for some awesom reviews for this chapter, but that might just be my big ego. Please enjoy, I know I did!  
  
For those of you who don't know anything about ownership, I do not own Yu- Gi-Oh! nor do I own any of the characters in this story. I also don't own James Bond, whose name is mentioned in here somewhere. The story is mine however and if I find out someone is trying to steal it, I'll drop-kick them to the next Super Bowl (which I also don't own). This public service message has been brought to you by 'Atlantis Inc. a dolphin friendly company.' (No, I really don't own a company. Yeesh!)  
  
Rating: PG-13  
  
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Love will last forever, but prophecy and speaking in tongues and special knowledge will all disappear. For even our special knowledge in incomplete, and our prophecy incomplete. But when the end comes, these special gifts will all disappear.  
  
1 Corinthians 13:8-10  
  
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PART 4  
  
When Monday came around, Téa found herself dreading the moment her sisters came home. All weekend, she had been arguing with reporters who wanted her parents' death to be broadcast, seeing as how it hadn't been officially announced that it had been her parents in the fatal crash on Saturday. She decided that she hated reporters. Some of them couldn't even understand why she didn't want it released publicly yet and one even had the audacity to call her selfish.  
  
"You're damn right I'm selfish!" Téa had screamed before slamming down the phone and blocking that phone number on her caller ID.  
  
Not many people knew that it was her parents who had died in the 'fatal car crash' that had been reported on the six-o'-clock evening news Saturday. Only the paramedics and police who had attended the site, Seto Kaiba, and her father's lawyer, who had also been his best friend. He had seen the news and had recognized the car and yard that it had buried itself in before calling Téa to confirm it. They had both cried during their conversation and when it had ended, Harry Jackson had given his caseload to one of his partners (in his law firm) and immediately set about keeping the news quiet until Téa deemed otherwise.  
  
She was thankful for him taking care of her even through his own grief and arranged to meet him later in the week for lunch, to talk and say thank you. The rest of the weekend she had slowly gone through all of the possessions and lovingly reminisced. When she thought back on all the crying she had done, Téa was surprised that she hadn't passed out from dehydration. Now, as she stood at the front door, waiting for her sisters to arrive, she felt utterly terrified. How would she tell them? Could she find the strength to let them know they would never see their parents again?  
  
The sound of a vehicle pulling into the driveway floated through an open window and Téa swallowed. She heard her sisters as they jumped out of their friend's mom's mini-van and squealed goodbyes, running to the front door with duffle bags in tow. They ran in the open front door and stopped abruptly when they saw Téa.  
  
"Hey you two," Téa greeted them, smiling softly.  
  
"What are you doing home?" Arashi questioned her.  
  
"I didn't go to school today," Téa replied.  
  
"Mom and dad let you?" Kiri asked, "Or are you skipping without them knowing? Huh?"  
  
"Neither," their older sister said as she approached them.  
  
"I'm gonna tell on you to mom and dad!" Kiri cried. "Um, after school," she amended. Kiri didn't notice how Téa physically shuddered and furiously blinked back her tears.  
  
"You're not going to school today girls," Téa told them. "Come with me, okay? I've got something important to tell you," she said, taking their hands in hers and leading them to the living room. She sat them down on the couch and knelt in front of them, placing her arms on the cushions on either side of them. Looking them both in the eyes, she bit her lip and began.  
  
"Girls, you are not going to get a chance to tell on me," she said quietly.  
  
"Why not?" Kiri asked, swinging her legs playfully. Téa stopped them with a gentle hand.  
  
"Did they leave again?" Arashi asked. Téa nodded.  
  
"Yes sweetheart, but this time they're not coming back," Téa said quietly. "Mommy and daddy were in a very bad accident on Saturday. You know what an accident is right?" They nodded. "Well, mommy and daddy were hurt really bad and the doctors couldn't save them," Téa explained, deciding to leave out the gruesome facts of the ordeal.  
  
"Are they dead?" Arashi asked, tears glimmering in her eyes. Téa put a hand to her cheek and looked at Kiri who seemed to be a mirror-image. She brought them to her chest and held them tightly in her arms.  
  
"Yes."  
  
It was nearly two hours before the girls calmed down a little, and only because they were tired from their weekend and exhausted from crying so much. Carrying both small girls to their room, one on each hip, she tucked them in and told them to sleep for a while. As Téa stood to leave, Arashi's small hand gripped her fingers and stopped her.  
  
"You're not gonna die too, are you?" she asked with fearful eyes. Kiri turned over in her bed to hear the answer, obviously not asleep.  
  
"NO! No, I'm not leaving you guys, ever! I'm going to take care of you no matter what. Since mommy and daddy are gone now, I need you two to be strong for me, and for them, and we're gonna have to be a team around here now. Things are going to be hard for a little while, but we will get through them. I promise. Don't worry I won't be dying for a long time. Now you two try to get some sleep, alright?" The two little girls nodded at her, satisfied with her answer, and they sniffled quietly before burying their heads in their pillows. Téa walked out of their room quietly and down the stairs to the living room, sinking down into the large black leather recliner and pulling a pillow to her chest to hug. She sighed.  
  
She *would* keep her promise to her sisters, but that didn't erase the fact that she had tried to break it before it had even been made. That incident in the garage... Téa shuddered. It had been too close; despair had almost won. She looked at the phone at her side on the coffee table and suddenly wished that she had gotten Kaiba's number. He would be good to talk to now. As if she had willed it with her wishing, the phone started ringing.  
  
Startled, she didn't move to pick it up until after the third ring, and then breathed out a confused, "Hello?"  
  
"Téa? This is Seto Kaiba." As he spoke, Téa almost felt her heart stop beating. This coincidence was just too weird. She was silent for a few moments and didn't reply, prompting Kaiba to say, "This is Téa Gardener right?"  
  
Shaking out of her stupid-moment, she found her voice and held the phone closer to her ear to hear his voice better.  
  
"Yeah, sorry Seto," she apologized. "I was just a little stunned that you called. I was just wishing that I could call you."  
  
Kaiba felt a small, pleasurable tremor pass through him as he heard her talk. She had called him 'Seto', a term that people only used with him in affectionate terms. Everyone knew that, and at the moment, only Mokuba called him by that name. Just now though, Téa had said it without hesitation, as if she had spoken to him like that all her life. It made him feel a little thrilled before he laughed.  
  
"My number is unlisted, you wouldn't have been able to call me. But so apparently, is yours. I had to give Yugi Moto a call this weekend to get it, and that was after I lied to him about needing it because we had a project to work on together for computer dynamics. He sounded suspicious," Kaiba chuckled. Téa nearly sighed hearing his deep laugh but restrained herself at the last moment.  
  
"He was just being a good friend by caring," Téa said, defending Yugi. "Good thing you called him though. I think Tristan might have hung up on you and I know Joey would have."  
  
"Why's that?" Kaiba asked as he pressed the phone closer to his ear and sunk back into his large leather office chair. His day at work had been hectic so far to say the least and he'd only been there three hours. He had gotten so frustrated with the snobby 'suits' that worked for him that he had just sent them and everyone else home to the day. Kaiba was content being alone in his big office, alone on the twenty-fifth floor, alone in the entire four-building complex, but he felt abandoned without Téa's presence, without her voice. He didn't know when he had figured that out, probably between Saturday night and this morning while he worried about how she was doing, but he didn't understand why. Kaiba had always been content up with his life up until the point he had actually spoken to Téa. Since then, his life seemed to be going in a million directions at once and it startled him to not have complete control of the situation.  
  
"Well, I think it's because they think you're a little snobby," Téa replied, breaking Kaiba out of his silent ponderings. Kaiba looked up sharply as if to look directly at her though she wasn't there, eyebrows drawing together in confusion.  
  
"Huh?" Kaiba asked.  
  
"They think you're snobby. I guess it's because you don't ever talk to anyone and, well, I don't know... You seem kind of standoffish to them I suppose," Téa answered. "Joey especially was trying to convert me to his way of thinking because I didn't think he was right while he is the advocate for 'life without Seto Kaiba', as he calls it. To me you just seemed lonely or like you were protecting yourself. Joey holds a few grudges against you though for beating him in Duel Monsters those couple of times. That was when you used to call him a dog. Do you remember that?" Téa laughed. Kaiba laughed too.  
  
"Yeah, and I'm embarrassed when I look back on those days. I must've looked like such a jerk. I've tried not to be that guy anymore," he told her, "but I suppose in making that guy go away, I've brought up another that's even quieter than before."  
  
"That's for sure. But hey, that's alright too. I for one can appreciate silence, to a point. There are just some times in life where you don't want to hear anything, where you wish there was just emptiness. I've been through those times quite a bit," Téa whispered, confiding in him. "I wish I could get out of this house but my sisters are sleeping and I don't want to leave them. I want to go back to the park."  
  
"Would you mind if I came and visited you? It's more of a bore here at Kaiba Corp than at a knitting festival," Kaiba grouched, hoping to get a laugh out of Téa. He wasn't disappointed. She giggled musically and he wished he was there in front of her, watching her bright eyes twinkle and her lips smile happily.  
  
"I think that would be okay, but only for a little while. I don't want my little sisters to think I'm trying to forget my parents this soon by focusing on a guy. You know what I mean?" she asked.  
  
"Yeah, that's fine, I understand. So, how about that address?"  
  
  
  
A few minutes later, Kaiba was on the road to Téa's house after getting instructions and an address from her and about fifteen minutes after that, he arrived at her house. Pulling his Porsche into the driveway with ease, he parked it and pulled his keys from the ignition, tucking them into his pocket as he locked and shut his door. As he walked to the front door, Kaiba felt an ease about him. His muscles didn't feel so stiff, he was feeling something akin to happiness, and the stress he had been feeling that morning felt as if it had been lifted from his shoulders. Kaiba didn't even get a chance to ring the doorbell before the front door was pulled open quickly and Téa's hand reached out and grabbed his own. She blushed deeply, her cheeks turning a pretty pink.  
  
"Sorry," she murmured. "I didn't want you to ring the bell and wake up my sisters." He nodded and followed her in, turning to shut the door behind him. When he turned around, he gave himself a good chance to really look her over and nearly stepped back. She looked... Kami-sama! She looked like she belonged in a James Bond movie! Her hair fell over her shoulders in a wind-blown fashion, bangs falling into her eyes just the slightest and she looked a little out of breath. Her cheeks were tinted a light pink and her lips looked inviting. Man, did they ever look inviting as she slowly took in air through parted lips.  
  
*Yeah buddy, we are back in business!* devil-conscience whooped as he stood up from where he had been confined the last couple of days. There had been once when he had almost gotten free and thrown in a bit of an erotic fantasy into Kaiba's mind, but good-conscience had caught him before it had gotten too far and had tied him up again. But this time, he was free for good and he laughed triumphantly at good-conscience to had sat in a chair that had -somehow- gotten glue on the seat. *Go ahead and undress her Kaiba my boy, at least in your mind. You certainly deserve it after waiting for a couple of days!*  
  
Kaiba shook his head harshly, not liking the direction his thoughts were flowing in and decided to simply continue looking her over. She was wearing tight-fitting black dance pants that clung to her legs and flared out just at the bottom, a pair of black shoes, and a sleeveless, white tank- top that clung to her curves with marvelous effectiveness. Kaiba gulped and looked back at her face.  
  
Téa mistook his gaze at her for puzzlement rather than 'looking over' and shrugged. "I was practicing some hip-hop moves for my dance class. Sorry if I look like a bit of a mess right now," she said, moving away from the door to grab a water bottle that sat near a wall. She bent down to pick it up, giving Kaiba a nice view of her figure before standing up again and twisting the top off to take a drink. "How have you been?" she asked, traveling into the kitchen and motioning for Kaiba to follow.  
  
"Okay I guess. Those damn suits at my corporation are really driving me crazy though. They try to control and manipulate me and then when I see through their plans, they act like whimpering fools and beg for my forgiveness. The only reason I don't fire the lot of them is that they're all uncommonly brilliant," Kaiba vented as he sat down on a bar-stool. Téa offered him a water bottle from the refrigerator but he shook his head 'no' and looked at her. "How about you?"  
  
"Well," she sighed, "I got the privilege to explain to my sisters that my... our parents are dead and are never coming back. I think that, seriously, that was the single hardest thing I've ever done in my life. I nearly broke down just watching those little girls cry, and then they cried some more over thinking that I might die and leave them too, just like my parents." Téa shook her head. "I really don't know how to go about this whole thing. It's so confusing to me."  
  
"The best thing to do is just get on with your life. Keep going no matter what. You can't let your emotions control to the point where their death is the only thing you ever think about. You can't let anything stop you from being all that you can be," Kaiba told her, leaning his forearms on the counter. Téa stared at him open-mouthed and then set her water bottle down sharply and glared at him.  
  
"How can you say that? That is by far the coldest thing I've ever heard someone say after a death. They've only been gone for what... three days, and you're acting like I should try to forget them. What gives you the right to tell me how I should feel about this?" Téa bit at him, her voice rising before she remembered the sleeping girls and turned down the volume a little.  
  
"Listen," Kaiba snarled back, "I'm not telling you how to run your life. I'm just trying to help you out here. If you don't want my help, why don't you just say so? Seeing as how you know everything about everything!"  
  
"Where in the world do you get off that you can be so high and mighty with me? A few days ago, you were so nice to me, but now you act like you're the one living my life, trying to tell me how to handle this. You don't even know what I've been through!" Téa nearly screamed at him, a tear running down her cheek.  
  
"Oh don't I just!" Kaiba shouted at her. "You don't think I know what you're feeling? How I know how to act in a circumstance like this? Of course you have to mourn their death, but you can't dwell on it because it'll eat you up."  
  
"Shut up! I don't want to hear this anymore! You keep going on and on and I don't want to listen to this! You're so full of yourself Kaiba, presuming you know what other people are feeling at a time like this..." she started, but was cut off by Kaiba stomping around to her side of the counter and grabbing her shoulders with a hard grip.  
  
"I wasn't finished dammit! My parents are dead too!" Téa stopped squirming in his grip and stopped cold. "I watched them die right in front of my eyes, just like you. I was six years old. And then I wasn't ever adopted and I thought there was something wrong with me. Then they tried to take my little brother away from me. Don't you dare tell me that I don't know *exactly* what you're feeling right now. Have you tried killing yourself yet? I know I did. You probably don't have the guys to even attempt it," Kaiba growled at her. When she nodded, she let go of her shoulders roughly, shock written across his face.  
  
Téa refused to meet his gaze, wrapping her arms around herself and turning away from him to walk to the opposite end of the kitchen. Kaiba reached a hand out towards her back then pulled it back and moved to the exit of the kitchen as if to leave, then stopped as if he couldn't move anymore. Placed a hand on the doorway he bowed his head, feeling like he had destroyed the one chance at a friendship that he would ever get. He looked into the space of her living room as he heard her quiet voice break the silence, obviously thinking he had left.  
  
"Our first fight and we've only been friends for three days. Do I ever know how to ruin things or what?" she whispered to herself as closed the blinds of the bay window with an annoyance with the light. "But it's not all *my* fault. Damn you Kaiba, sending out so many mixed messages and not getting right to the point. Maybe I should just waltz right on up to him and apologize and then he'll say, 'We should kiss and make up.' Gosh yes, let's kiss and make up. Why doesn't he just walk right back into this house and totally render me helpless with those gorgeous eyes of his and his thick hair and tempting lips?" Téa ran one of her hands through her hair, pulling at it and shutting her eyes tightly, knowing that tears might fall if she didn't force them back.  
  
Kaiba watched as she pulled at her hair, having turned around to watch when she had started talking and was completely shocked. She had just voiced probably some of her deepest wishes and he had heard! So what was he going to do?  
  
*Oh yeah, I can feel these bonds loosening already,* devil-conscience laughed menacingly since the gag had already come off with Kaiba's flow of thoughts drifting into his department.  
  
Backing up, Kaiba left the kitchen quietly and to the living room where he opened up the front door and then shut it with a bang, acting as if he had just stormed back into the house. Marching to the doorway of the kitchen, he stopped and watched Téa whip around to see him, her blue eyes wide at the sight of him. Kaiba grinned seductively and began taking slow steps toward her, making sure his eyes held onto hers like a lifeline. If this was what she wanted, he was damn sure going to help out. He hadn't been thinking of much besides what it would be like to kiss the girl all weekend and he wasn't going to be passing up an opportunity when he knew she felt the same way.  
  
Téa's blood suddenly seemed as if it was rushing faster through her body and her skin as if she had been sitting in an oven. A wave of... nice... heat rolled through her body as she watched him approach her.  
  
His blue eyes burned into hers, not even attempting to conceal what he felt. Desire. He wanted her so badly. His arms wanted to hold her close to him, his lips wanted to devour hers. As he gazed at her, he could practically see the flames licking at the irises of her eyes the same way he knew his own were, and he knew that she felt the same way.  
  
But she was also a little hesitant. It would be her first true kiss, and he wanted to make it the single-most powerful thing she had ever felt in her life. His whole body felt hot. His hands ached to reach out and pull her to him at that very moment, crossing the distance the space between them with only a few long strides, but first, he had to seduce her senses. Allow her to feel totally at ease with him, and his coming touches and kisses.  
  
Téa watched his movements with a sharp gaze, noticing how tantalizingly slow he moved to her. This couldn't have been an instant change in his attitude, but it was strange to think about how this had started. They had been talking about life, started an argument, moved into the kitchen, and had ended up going to separate corners - fuming. Now this was happening. With a startled realization, Téa figured out that Kaiba must've heard her whispered confession.  
  
With Kaiba was only a few steps away from her now, Téa backed herself up until she could go back no further, her back pressed lightly against the edge of the counter. She dropped her head to her chest shyly, turning away a bit from his sizzling glare, failing in her attempt to get her breathing to calm down. She knew the moment he was close enough to touch, the waves of burning passion rolling off of him onto her, and his warm breath gently stirring the hair on the top of her head. Closing her eyes, Téa gulped and fought down the ferris wheel of emotions twirling in her stomach and gingerly lifted her head, her cheek ending up just next to Kaiba's. He was leaning down a little to be closer to her and when the skin of her cheek touched his, her entire body went through a flash of incredible pleasure.  
  
"Téa." His voice was hoarse, strained, as he whispered into her ear and moved his hands to either side of her body, trapping her against the counter. He kissed the shell of her ear so that it was hardly the touch of a feather, and felt her shiver. Téa felt her eyes darken underneath her closed eyelids.  
  
"Seto," she whispered back, her grip on the counter tightening. Her head fell back as she felt him nuzzle her neck, his lips creating intricate patterns on the sensitive skin. He moved closer, his coat brushing up against the front of her as unconsciously leaned towards him. Her hands left the counter, slipping over his own and up to his forearm where they stopped, but pulled him closer to her, her fingernails digging into his coat. Téa gasped out loud as Kaiba touched the skin of her throat with a tentative tongue, tasting her and continuing to kiss her, moving over the curves of her neck and traveling to the other side. He pushed closer to her, her body becoming wrapped up in his jacket and she nearly purred, the sound making Kaiba stop momentarily and smile before he placed another soft kiss on her jaw. Her hands let go of their grip on his forearms and moved slowly up over his arms, past his shoulders, wrapping around his neck and burying themselves in his hair. Kaiba pulled back from her neck reluctantly and looked at her face for a moment, a gentle smile playing across his lips as he glanced at Téa's beautiful features.  
  
She truly had a beautiful face and body, as well as the most perfect heart. With midnight black lashes curling over those light blue eyes when closed, a creamy complexion with the slightest hints of rose-colored cheeks, and those full, red lips that were parted slightly, Seto Kaiba hardly understood what he had done to deserve such a beauty. Her body was flawless too, her legs seeming much longer in that pair of tight, black pants and her curves seeming much more emphasized in her tight-fitting white shirt. Téa was the perfect height too, her head fitting right into the curve of his shoulder and neck. And it wasn't a drawback that she smelled like watermelon either. It made her almost want to eat her, but decided to be content with simply taking in her affection and feeling her love.  
  
Not wanting to disappoint when Téa made a quiet sound that translated into 'more', Kaiba moved his lips to her face, tenderly kissing her forehead and temple. He continued when he heard her sigh contentedly, pressing small kisses to her eyelids and landing a kiss on the tip of her nose. She giggled playfully, enjoying the game and stroked his neck with her fingertips, not aware of the affect she was having on him.  
  
Seto restrained himself with a forceful will. How much he wanted to just ravish her! But remembering that this was supposed to be Téa's experience as much as his own, he placed a kiss on the side of her mouth, then placed his forehead on hers, waiting a few seconds to calm himself down. He felt Téa's fingers slow on his neck and then stop, obviously puzzled as to why he stopped.  
  
When his kisses had stopped abruptly, Téa thought that it was just more of Kaiba's game and smiled. When his lips had touched the corner of her own, she had almost turned her face to receive the full gift, but waited patiently, knowing that he'd present it to her soon anyway. Instead, she felt his forehead touch her own and she stopped her fingers haltingly, wondering if perhaps Kaiba didn't want to kiss her. When she began to pull away, she suddenly felt his hands tighten the slightest on her waist and pull her back to him, his breath suddenly feathering against her mouth.  
  
The soft pressure of his lips pressed against her own, warm and gentle. Téa's eyes fluttered open in surprise and then shut again, loving his lips and the way they felt. She sighed as he pulled her closer, wrapping his arms tightly around her and bringing her fully up against him. Feeling his warm body and hard, coiled muscles against her, around her, Téa nearly shivered. It felt so good to be in his arms finally. How long had she dreamed of it feeling this good?  
  
A delightful sensation met Téa's lips as Kaiba angled his head and pulled away before kissing again and pulling away slowly, suckling gently on her lower lip. She thought she felt her knees give, but couldn't tell because Kaiba kept a tight hold on her, keeping her close to him. Heat spread throughout her body as he continued to kiss her and began to move his hands on her back, moving his fingers around in little circles and pushing on tight muscles to make them relax. One hand moved up to her neck, cradling it gently as she let her head fall back before he guided it back up. Her eyes felt as if they were weighted down, so hot, and she opened her eyes to look at him through passion-tinted eyes. Téa watched as Kaiba's eyes darkened as his head moved down again, soft black eyelashes falling over his gorgeous eyes.  
  
A soft moan escaped the back of Téa's throat as Kaiba pushed his tongue against the seam of her lips, seeking access for a deeper kiss. She obliged readily, opening her mouth to the onslaught of his kisses. He went slowly at first, exploring her mouth and seeking to mingle with her tongue. Then they became more impassioned, more hungry. He pushed against her and angled his head for a better position, wrapping his arm around her waist more tightly. His kisses were faster and desperate, as if trying to let out all of the pent-up emotions he had hidden for nearly thirteen years. All of the anger, the fear, love, lust, sadness, joy, everything, he poured into his kiss. He growled against Téa's lips as she began to tentatively return the passion, pushing against him and entangling her fingers in the hair at the nape of his neck.  
  
Deciding it would be easier on her back if she wasn't pressed up on the edge of the counter, Kaiba moved his hand from her neck down to her waist where the other was, still continuing to kiss her, and lifted her to the counter-top. She pulled away from him for a brief moment, realizing the change and looked at his face, nearly level with her own. She hadn't realized he was so tall, able to be at eye-level while she sat above him on the counter. Not much more passed through her mind before Kaiba pulled her to him once more, his hands deciding to take a different course than before.  
  
Téa shivered into his chest, into his kiss as she felt his hands wander over her body, stroking her back, moving up and down her arms, roving over her hips and even over her butt. She felt his fingers teasing the hem of her shirt gently, barely reaching under the material to touch the heated skin of her back. Through all of his touches and kisses, Téa realized that she was practically straddling him, her legs on either side of his body. Grinning against his lips, she decided to join in the game and wrapped her legs around his waist to bring him closer.  
  
Kaiba was startled when he felt his body slam into Téa's, held there by her legs. As if to meet her challenge, his hands teased along her legs, fingers tracing long lines of liquid fire over her pants, knowing she felt it on her skin. He was surprised when she added more fire to their kiss, deepening it to the point of almost indecency. Kaiba like it. A lot. With her initiation of the new affection, Kaiba allowed his formerly restrained hands to wander up her back beneath her shirt, enjoying the soft feel of her skin against his hands. Téa groaned.  
  
"You cheater," she breathed, pulling away and taking in air greedily. He grinned devilishly but then blanched as she suddenly pulled his shirt from his pants (where it had been nicely tucked) and reached under, raking her nails across his chest in retaliation. He hissed and glared at her with a dark intensity even as she continued to pull her hands across his flesh with a sexy determination.  
  
*Man, this is getting too hot in here for even me!* devil-conscience cried, picking up a suitcase and bolting from Kaiba's mind. A little sign on the door of Kaiba's mind let everyone know that good-conscience had split long ago. With no extra little guys to help Kaiba out, he began reaching for Téa's lips with a renewed intensity when he immediately stilled, feeling Téa's muscles stiffen against his hands. They looked at each other, horrified then turned their heads fearfully to the direction of the kitchen's entrance.  
  
"Téa?" a small voice called once again. The first time it had been so quiet that it had hardly been noticed, but both had stopped nonetheless, wanting to make sure before continuing. Kaiba heard Téa curse under her breath as her eyes widened in shock. He hastily pulled her from the counter and began tucking his shirt back in while Téa straightened her appearance as well, smoothing out her shirt and hair and fixing her pants.  
  
"What do you need honey?" she asked, walking out of the kitchen quickly and to the edge of the staircase. Arashi stood there, rubbing her eyes and held out her arms for Téa to pick her up. Doing so, she held the girl in her arms and hugged her to her, looking at her in question.  
  
"I had a bad dream. I dreamed that I was all alone and everyone had died just like mommy and daddy... It was awful!" she cried, wrapping her arms around Téa's neck and crying. Over the small girl's shoulder, Téa looked at Kaiba and gave him a soft smile, all of her former passion having disappeared, before focusing on her sister once more.  
  
"Hey, it's alright sweetheart. Look, I'm right here and your sister is still upstairs. And see here, even my friend Seto Kaiba is here. You're not alone and you never will be," Téa whispered softly in the little girl's hair. Sniffling, Arashi looked up and around, spotting Kaiba as he moved over to her. He held out his hand kindly and she took it, her small eyes growing wide as he placed a gentle kiss on the back of her hand.  
  
"Pleased to meet you," he said quietly, smiling at the young girl. She blinked, all tears forgotten and looked at Téa.  
  
"I like him," she stated simply. Téa bit her lip and blushed, looking down before meeting Kaiba's gaze over her sister's head, noticing a faint desire flare in his eyes before dying quickly.  
  
"Yeah, me too," Téa replied, looking only at her sister. "Is there anything else you need? If not, I want you to go back to bed, you still look pretty tired." Arashi looked at Kaiba and she giggled and looked at Téa sheepishly.  
  
"Can I have a drink of water?"  
  
  
  
After Téa had put Arashi back to sleep, she went down the stairs and found Kaiba sitting in her favorite chair, looking totally at ease. She mock-glared at him before walking over and sitting in his lap, wrapping his arms around her waist. For a few moments they were quiet before Téa began shaking with laughter. Kaiba was puzzled and tapped on her shoulder, wanting to be let in on the joke.  
  
"Oh, I just think it's so funny how we were interrupted," she laughed, watching Kaiba blush slightly at the remembrance. He had certainly given her the first kiss she had always wanted. "I mean, on movies all the time, couples are always getting interrupted by a kid who wants a drink of water or by people walking in on them. I never thought it actually happened!" Téa kept laughing, her stomach hurting a little from so much shaking and laid her head back on Kaiba's shoulder. She sighed. "How did we get so close to each other so fast, Seto?" she asked suddenly. He blinked and then tightened his arms around her waist as she stopped laughing.  
  
"I honestly don't know, but I like it," he replied truthfully.  
  
For the rest of the afternoon, they spent the time in each other's arms, quietly talking or watching movies while they enjoyed not being alone. They felt completely at peace, something that had eluded both of them for a longer time than they had been aware. It was a good feeling.  
  
***  
  
End of Part 4. Yay! Go me! Would you believe that all of this is from the imagination of a Junior in high school who has never been kissed? Probably not, but it's true. Anyways, if you had a problem with this chapter, then that's your own beef because I've noticed that PG-13s are constantly NOT PG- 13s. Most of the time, they should be labeled as PG if that. The actual accuracy of a PG-13 is more like a James Bond movie (for those of you who have never seen a James Bond 007 movie, they are mostly filled with sex, intrigue, and plans of mass-destruction from the bad guys - you see one, you've seen them all), which is kind of crazy, but true.  
  
My ranting has brought me to the question of the week: How often do you find stories that are incorrectly labeled? I know when I go looking for a PG-13 or whatever, I intend to find one and when I find something that doesn't even describe a good kiss, I get a tad miffed.  
  
Well, that brings me to the end of my author's notes I believe. I really hope you all enjoy this chapter as much as I loved writing it. Also, if any of you know of any good YGO! websites where I could post my stuff (fiction- wise) I would really appreciate it. I'd like an audience that extends beyond ff.net. Don't get me wrong, I love you guys, I'd just like to have it posted in other places.  
  
Alright, something else to let you all know, I'm writing an Egyptian YGO! fic now because I just couldn't help myself. That would be why last week I asked about preferences for types of fanfics in the question of the week. Although I didn't get really any positive responses (except 1) about the whole Egypt scene, I still decided to go ahead with it because I'm having a lot of fun with it. It will be a Seto/Téa fic for all of you wondering and I've only posted the prologue so I could see what the general response is to this fic before posting more. So if you'd like, go check that out now that you've finished this. I'd really appreciate feedback on that fic.  
  
One more additional thing before I go, next weekend, I will most definitely NOT be posting, this weekend was a freak accident as it was, but next week is a supreme no-no. I'm going to a two-day competition for Academic Decathalon (a class where you learn about ten subjects and then compete for places all the way up to nationals) and my writing time is going to be just about in the negative numbers of minutes. That makes me mad, but oh well. I also have heaps of projects to do before semester, so don't plan on getting anything else soon. My AP Biology project alone will probably mortally wound me. Please don't think I'm nerdy. With that said, I bid you all adieu!  
  
Atlantis *^_^*  
  
godscartungrrl@netscape.net 


	5. Chapter 5

Riddles of the Heart written by Atlantis ( 2002  
  
Okay, you all have official permission to throw veggies at me. I'm horrible and I know it. It's been FOUR MONTHS since I've updated. *cries* I'm so sorry. I didn't mean for it to take this long!! Honest! I think I should stop babbling because there are only so many words for 'sorry'.  
  
Thanks to ALL of you who reviewed me: Guardian Kysra, starkitty, Tara-hime, American BadAss, Dark Wings of Faith, Lynderia, Cranky Cathe, profiler120, Saiyan Rage, Quickening, and Anzu576. You all were so sweet and I'm entirely glad you liked the kiss. Those type of scenes actually take a good deal of work. All replies to the reviews will be at the end of this thing so as not to take away from your time of reading the actual story.  
  
Well, I'm sure that you all want me to shut up and get to the chappy you've waited four months to read, so onto the disclaimer!  
  
I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh! and we all know that. However, if I ever become wealthy enough to buy it, I will first rub it in all of your faces and *then* share it. It's no fun to be greedy.  
  
Rating: PG-13  
  
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For I will turn their mourning to joy, will comfort them, and make them rejoice rather than sorrow.  
  
Jeremiah 31:13  
  
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PART 5  
  
One of the few things in the world that could get Téa up in the morning besides school was knowing that she would see a friend, and Harry Jackson was most certainly a friend. More like family than anything else, he had been around since she was born as her father had told her, and was in fact, her godfather.  
  
A week had passed since the earth-shaking moment between her and Kaiba and she missed him, but had to focus on more important things. Her parents' bodies were still in the morgue, waiting to be buried, and her sisters had appointments to attend now with a counselor to help them deal with the mental trauma. They had returned to school, at their own insistence, but Téa had decided to not return for at least another two weeks. There was just too much to do and she didn't want anyone else taking care of everything that revolved around her parents' death.  
  
Tugging the jacket of her suit in place, Téa smiled softly in the mirror and went over her appearance. She certainly looked professional in her black suit, faint red pin stripes running down the length of the material. Opting to wear the pants rather than the skirt, Téa felt more comfortable and she moved her feet a little, encased in one-inch heels and black nylons. An almost metallic red shell was under her jacket, buttoning up to the top except for the last three buttons which she left undone. There was a simple gold chain that was around her neck, but she focused more on her hair after clasping it in place. Her light brown hair was up, twisted intricately to resemble a french twist, shining in the light that filtered through her window, with her bangs framing her face and stray pieces around her jaw to give her a softer, more feminine look. Small gold hoops hung from her ears and her nails had been done, covered in a clear- coat that emphasized the length of her long nails.  
  
Altogether, she looked like a young businesswoman, trim and fit, and rather commanding in her suit. She put a small amount of lip gloss on before walking out the door of her room and grabbing her keys before locking the house behind her. For some reason, Téa didn't like going through the laundry room to get to the garage, though it was supposedly easier and she shrugged at her silly habit before clicking the button that opened the garage door. After climbing into her truck, she took off towards the restaurant where she was supposed to meet Harry and ended up getting held up at every red light between her house and the restaurant, The Lighthouse, before arriving nearly forty-five minutes after she left.  
  
"Thank goodness for cells!" Téa sighed exasperatedly as she tucked her phone back into her pocket. She found a parking spot and got out of her truck hastily, making sure to lock it before heading into the restaurant. Her eyes opened in surprise when she found Harry standing there waiting for her. He looked impeccable as always, a black suit and a navy tie tied around the collar of his pristine, starched white shirt with matching black shoes that shone in the light. His greying brown hair was styled perfectly, the thick wavy hair parting off to the side naturally and tucking behind his ears. The old man smiled brightly at her and rushed forward, wrapping her in a tight hug. He stood back and took her hand and then led her to their table slowly, waving off the maitre'd, talking all the while about how his family was doing and how they had gotten a new puppy that the kids were just crazy about. Téa looked around at the posh dining room and marveled at it.  
  
Crystal chandeliers hung from the ceiling, the prisms casting rainbows all over the large room. Fine china was on each table, in addition to the many complete sets of silverware and crystal glasses and the chairs and tables were made of a fine wood, which looked to be cherrywood, polished and cushioned for the elite bottoms of Tokyo. Not too many people were there, but there were a few at tables dispersed around the room that were occupied with their laptops and briefcases covering the tables, obviously going over business transactions and whatnot. Téa snapped out of her reverie when Harry helped her into a chair and sat next to her, still grinning.  
  
"It's been a long while since I've seen you Teeny Téa," the older man said. Téa giggled at the old nickname.  
  
"Well, I must say that I've missed you Babba," she laughed back. "You've been one of the lifelines I've been clinging to since the accident," she added, eyes losing some of their light. Though she had come to grips with the reality of the situation, she knew that she would never be the same again. She looked up to meet Harry's eyes and he smiled warmly.  
  
"I know what you mean," he whispered back, taking her hand gently. "It's been hard for me as well. Your father was my best friend. We went to grade school together." Téa patted his hand and was about to say something when he looked at her suddenly, his eyes lighter. "One of your lifelines? I suppose your sisters are the others?" he asked.  
  
"Well of course, but also..." she trailed off, blushing slightly.  
  
"Also?" Harry chuckled. "Please tell me that you've got a young man in your life now Téa." Téa nodded.  
  
"Seto Kaiba," she said softly, biting her lip. Harry's eyes widened and he smiled a bright smile at her.  
  
"You certainly don't settle for anything less than the tops, do you?" he joked. "He's a good man, a little moody, but powerful and passionate. You're just what each other needs. I was wondering why he seemed different at our last meeting."  
  
"When did you last see him?" Téa asked, sipping on a glass of water that had been placed in front of her by their waiter.  
  
"Two days ago. We were talking about the company and a possible merger." He laughed as Téa nearly choked on an ice cube. "Before your father died, he began negotiations with Kaiba Corp to make both companies more influential and powerful."  
  
"That was very intelligent of my father. Merging with Kaiba Corp would be an excellent idea. But are you sure that we won't be creating a monopoly?" Téa asked as she set down her glass.  
  
"If you're worried, don't be. We're going about this in a way that won't put either company in jeopardy and both Mr. Kaiba, your father, and I decided that we wouldn't make the same foolish mistakes that Microsoft did. They got themselves stuck in a corner and couldn't back out, but we're making sure to leave ourselves plenty of corporate and stock space. This merger is going to change the Japanese economy as we know it, Téa," Harry exclaimed happily. Téa smiled at him, knowing that he thrived on both the market and law. She had no doubt in her mind that he would see any lupeholes should any present themselves.  
  
"And what about the name?" Téa questioned, resting her chin on top of folded hands. "Will you be creating a new name for the merging companies or is there going to be some kind of compromise?"  
  
"I'm glad you asked because we decided to keep Kaiba Corp's name but use your father's insignia as the company's logo, in remembrance of him. What do you think about that?" Harry asked, biting his lips as though he was anxious.  
  
"That sounds wonderful," Téa said, leaning back in her chair. "I like that idea very much. Is Kaiba aware that Mr. Hurikama was my father?"  
  
"No, he's not even aware that your father is dead. I thought that perhaps he would find out the truth when you decided to tell the world. As of right now, your father's death is only known as the 'Gardener Accident' in the obituaries, but if you'll allow me to set up a press conference, you can set the story straight. Would that be alright?" Harry pulled out a small pocket planner and pen, ready to jot down anything that Téa suggested. Téa nodded.  
  
"That would be fine," she said softly. "I think you should try to schedule it for tomorrow if possible so that the truth will be out before rumors can start circulating. I don't want my father's name sullied by any of that crap that those tabloids put out." Harry nodded.  
  
"That's fine, I think I can arrange it for later in the afternoon so that it'll hit the evening news just in time. That should take care of getting the message out," Harry explained, looking up and ordering lunch quietly for both of them from the waiter that had appeared at his side. As the waiter walked away, Téa looked at Harry, her chin resting in a palm.  
  
"So this is what my father wanted to talk to me about," she sighed quietly, casting her eyes down to the table where she traced designs on a burgundy napkin with her fingers. "To tell me about all of this merging and corporate changes." Harry coughed as he put his glass of water down, looking at her with wide eyes.  
  
"You mean your father didn't talk to you about any of this before what happened?" he asked incredulously. Téa nodded. Harry blew out a breath. "Well this is just the tip of the iceberg. There's much more. Téa, your father was going to retire and pass the responsibility of managing the company to you. He would stay in the background to watch out for you and help you make the right decisions, but it was going to be your company. He was going to have you negotiate the merger with Mr. Kaiba and introduce the new product that he had just finished."  
  
"My god," Téa breathed, leaning back in her chair as if physically pushed. "Wh... why would he do that?"  
  
"He said he felt like you were old enough and I think he wanted you to feel important and needed. With him being gone from home all of the time, I think he thought that you were lacking in the attention department and that you were ready to handle a responsibility like this. He also mentioned to me that the company needed to be run by someone who was closer to Kaiba's level and could adjust to change and new ideas better than him. We had all of the paperwork completed before he went to London," Harry replied, closing his eyes painfully. "Damn if I don't miss that man with all of my heart," he added, a lone tear slipping down his cheek. Téa's eyes softened and filled with warm tears, some of them slipping down her jaw and into her lap. Leaning forward, she reached forward and took Harry's hand, squeezing it tightly. He looked up at her, noticing her already red eyes and quivering lip. Pushing his lips together in a tight line, he took in a breath and then looked at Téa, sending her a faint smile. They were sharing so much pain and felt like they were both missing crucial parts of their lives. No matter what happened or who came into their lives, it would be a long while until the memory of Kevin Hurikama Gardner was no longer painful.  
  
***  
  
Dropping into her leather recliner, Téa let her head fall back as she pulled her legs up to take off her heels. Lunch had been wonderful with Harry, even though they had cried a good deal of the time after they had started, and many fond memories had been shared between them. But as always, time flies fast and she was saying goodbye to her godfather, a tight hug lasting for a few minutes as she cried on his shoulder at her truck. Then, determined not to shed another tear, Téa had gotten into her vehicle and drove away after bidding her good family friend a very hearty goodbye.  
  
Now, as the fan above her hummed calmingly and sent a breath of cool air down on her, all that she could think about was the press conference that would be released tomorrow... and taking a nap and seeing Kaiba. She wanted to talk to him. He had been calling her every day just to see how she was doing, but unfortunately hadn't gotten to come over. His company had just begun renovations in a few areas and he was in the process of firing some of his officers for attempting to embezzle company funds. He missed her, he said. She was the only person who treated him like a real person besides his brother.  
  
Téa absently wondered what his little brother was like. Seto didn't talk about him, had only mentioned him in passing, but never named or described him. She guessed it was somewhat fair since Kaiba didn't really know her sister's names. He had met Arashi though, and the little girl was absolutely taken with him. That made Téa smile because at least now she knew that if a strong relationship began to grow between them, her sisters wouldn't disapprove. Kiri was going crazy wanting to meet the mystery man that her sister had met and whined about it jokingly every day, hoping that she'd be annoying enough to finally get Téa to bring him over again. Téa wished it was that easy.  
  
Arashi and Kiri's therapy sessions were going well, better than the psychologist and counselor had hoped. They were, of course, scarred at the loss of their parents, but they depended on Téa so much and had spent so much time with her over the course of their young lives that they were handling the situation amazingly well. It was a comforting thought to Téa, who had refused counseling and was dealing with her feelings and bad dreams on her own. She hadn't even told Kaiba about the nightmares yet, but she was sure he suspected. He was also holding things back from her still, she knew, but that was only natural. They had only known each other a short time and didn't want to overload each other with information and emotional baggage. Kaiba had opened up to her a few times on the phone, but not often because he admitted that taking face-to-face was much easier when discussing the past and memories for him. Téa agreed wholeheartedly.  
  
The clock high on the wall opposite Téa chimed musically and she glanced at the time. Eleven o' clock. It would be another four hours until the girls got out of school and then another hour until she picked them up from their sessions. She sighed. It was time that she went to her father's company and take up her responsibility. A corporation as powerful as her father's was rivaled by few others in the entire world and that gave her a sense of pride as she stood, empowered by the thought of continuing her father's legacy. Though she had stopped traveling so frequently with her parents years ago, Téa knew the tricks of the trade, how to hire and fire employees, and take care of a company. Her father's seemingly pointless conversations with her on the subject came rushing back to her and she pulled her shoes back on, and walked out the door.  
  
***  
  
"Miss Hurikama! I was not expecting you today!" the secretary, Margaret, called out as Téa stepped out of the elevator with a leather briefcase in hand that she had gotten from Harry after stopping by his firm, and striding towards her father's old office. She gave the hard- working secretary a steady smile and stopped at her desk.  
  
"I'm aware of that, but a company can't run itself. I'll be in my father's office looking over personnel files all afternoon. This company needs an employee renovation," Téa replied smoothly, not even having to go over her words in her head before saying them. She was meant for this position. Moving to the door, she stopped abruptly when Margaret's hand on her wrist stopped her.  
  
"You're not going to like what you see in there, Miss," she informed her quietly. Téa's eyebrows knitted together in confusion. "The partners are all in there discussing possibilities of what to do with the company. I don't think they know you're taking over. It sounded a bit like a drunken party in there a while ago." Téa's eyes flashed angrily and she nodded thankfully at Margaret.  
  
"I'm going in there and I'm going to take care of them. If I buzz you, call security. I don't expect this to go easy. But how did you know that I'd be taking over?" she asked. Margaret gave her a little smile.  
  
"Mr. Jackson called this morning informing me of the possibility. He advised me not to tell the partners so that you could see what they were really like. Kind of like 'when the cat is away, the mice come out to play' type thing. Go kick some butt Miss," Margaret said, her brown eyes twinkling.  
  
"Just Téa please. And I intend to, kick some butt that is. Wish me luck." With that said, Téa pushed her shoulders back, held her head high and walked to the large oak double doors, opening them with confidence and striding in.  
  
Numerous heads whipped in her direction as she stopped in the doorway, staring as if they'd seen a ghost. Téa held back a scream of rage. There they were, seven grown men, sitting around in plush chairs, laughing and each holding a glass of brandy in his hand. Her eyes turned to stone as she spotted a man in her father's chair, his feet propped up on the beautiful desk.  
  
"Mister Janaki, if you wish to keep your job in this corporation, you will immediately remove yourself from MY FATHER'S chair and desk. And all of you will be pouring out that brandy instantly. As of this moment, drinking any alcoholic beverage on these grounds will result in immediate demotion and loss of benefits until I see fit to restore them," Téa growled, her voice low and deadly. The men simply sat staring at her, dumbfounded by her presence and confused at what to do. Only the man in her father's place moved, though slowly, and his face held a look of infinite terror.  
  
"Who are you?" one of the men still sitting asked suddenly, courage racing through his veins in the form of liquor. "What business do you have bursting in here without clearance?" The oaf staggered to his feet and attempted to look down on her, but her hard gaze didn't waver.  
  
"If you don't know, then you were certainly no friend of my father's. And I have clearance, more than you'll ever have. I am Téa Hurikama and I am taking my father's place in this company. If you have any objections, then I will have no problem writing up your formal resignation papers this very moment. I will tolerate absolutely no insubordinance from any of you, no matter how powerful and rich you think you are in regards to this company. This company has been left to me and I will manage it from now on. You gentlemen will no longer take part in business decisions. Instead, you can go and live in ridiculous wealth and brag about how well this company is doing. Is that understood?" Téa asked, moving slowly through the room so as to stare at every man directly before settling herself into the large leather chair behind her father's desk. Without another glance to any of them, she pulled her briefcase up to rest atop the desk and popped it open, looking over some random papers before speaking. "You gentlemen may all leave now, and please make sure to pour that fine brandy into that sink on your way out," Téa said authoritatively with a hard glance around the room.  
  
Faint curses and unhappy grumblings met her ears but the men filed out slowly, watching almost forlornly as they poured the golden liquid down the sink before leaving the room. Téa blew out a breath after the last of them had left and sank back into her chair, pressing the intercom button lightly.  
  
"Yes Miss Hurikama?" Margaret's voice asked through the device.  
  
"Would you please call Harry Jackson and inform him that I need to speak with him as soon as possible to go over merger schematics and procedures?" Téa requested kindly as she massaged her temples. Putting seven grown men in their places and keeping a demeanor of complete control had been harder than she thought. "And bring me some Tylenol too please."  
  
"Right away Miss." Silence quickly filled the room, excepting the quiet ticking of a small Victorian clock that sat at the right edge of the desk, its Roman numeral digits forcing Téa to adjust to them before accurately reading the time. Almost three hours had passed since she had left her house and she was weary, ready to take a nap and perhaps afterwards call Seto. She needed to hear his voice. Looking up as one of the doors to the office opened tentatively, Téa sent a small smile to the middle-aged secretary who was carrying a glass of water and several small pills in her hands.  
  
"You are a sweetheart, Margaret," Téa joked as she was handed the glass and pills. Gulping them down, she heard the faint ring of a telephone and watched Margaret trot out to answer it, her optimistic voice sounding professional as she spoke. She came back in a moment later.  
  
"Um, Miss Hurikama? There's a Mister Kaiba on the line. He wants to speak with you," she informed Téa quietly. Téa blanched.  
  
"Oh my god. Does he know that I'm taking over the company? Who exactly did he ask for?" the brunette asked, suddenly gasping for breath.  
  
"He asked for Téa Gardner. Would you like me to tell him you're unavailable?" Téa shook her head.  
  
"No, go ahead and transfer it to this phone," Téa replied, straightening herself out shakily. She just wouldn't be able to deal with it if Seto had found out who she really was from anyone other than herself. "And call me Téa." Margaret nodded cheerily and returned to her desk as Téa waited for the light on the phone to show that the call had been transferred. The little orange light blinked at her and she took a breath before answering.  
  
"Hello?"  
  
"Téa! I've been calling all around for you. Where've you been?" Kaiba's voice asked through the phone. Téa felt herself melt. His voice was so sexy.  
  
"Well, earlier I went out to breakfast with a family friend of mine and then... How did you know to call here?" Téa questioned suddenly.  
  
"I didn't. I was speaking to a close associate of mine, Harry Jackson, your family friend I'm guessing, and told him I'd been trying to get a hold of you all morning. He told me that you might be at Hurikama Inc. By the way, what are you doing there?" he replied.  
  
"Oh, I'm looking into a job here. I think I've got it for the most part, I just have to seal up a few loose ends," Téa told him, slowly sinking back into her chair.  
  
"You should have told me you were looking for a job. I could've gotten you something in a snap. Maybe as my secretary or something. The one I've got now is a rather grouchy woman," Kaiba joked, his laugh reverberating through the line. Téa closed her eyes and listened to the sound, drowning in it.  
  
"Sorry. I had a few connections here and thought about Hurikama Inc. first. But you know what, we'll still get to see each other. Maybe we can get together while there's a business meeting going on or something. There's a bit of a rumor here that Hurikama Inc. and Kaiba Corp. are going to be merging," Téa teased, knowing it to be a fact.  
  
"Where did you hear that?" Seto asked. Téa could just imagine him perking up at the sound of the merger, wondering how she had gotten hold of priority information.  
  
"I have my sources," was Téa's mysterious reply. She held in a giggle. This was just too fun messing with him like this!  
  
"Yes well, I guess you'll have to find out won't you?" Kaiba's cryptic response whispered to her. "I've been wanting to see you so badly. I miss you," he admitted. Téa felt herself blush and smiled, suddenly feeling shy. "Do you think you can go out to dinner tonight?"  
  
"Oh Seto I'd love to, but I can't leave my sisters. Not tonight. How about you and your brother and my sisters and I all go to dinner, say, Friday? I would love to meet him and you don't really know my sisters."  
  
"Just the one who interrupted us," Kaiba chuckled.  
  
"That would be Arashi," Téa informed him, laughing as well. She noticed Kaiba's voice drop to a lower tone.  
  
"I wouldn't mind that again as long as there was something to interrupt," he whispered to her. Téa thought she heard him growl low in his throat but couldn't be sure. Nevertheless, she shivered delightfully.  
  
"Well, in all honesty, I'd rather not have an interruption," Téa whispered to herself, then suddenly hoped that Kaiba hadn't heard. She had no such luck.  
  
"I agree," came his throaty reply. "And that dinner idea is great, but I'd also like to have you to myself sometime soon."  
  
"You're a greedy boy, Seto," Téa laughed.  
  
"But I'm yours, so that's all that matters isn't it?" Kaiba shot back. Téa gasped.  
  
"Do... do you mean that, Seto?" she asked tentatively.  
  
"Téa, even though I've known you for such a short time, I can feel the barriers around me crumbling with every word you say. In a short time, you'll have all of my heart and I won't be able to hold back anything from you. I only hope I'm having a somewhat similar effect on you, beautiful," Kaiba replied in soft tones.  
  
"You had me when you comforted me on the day my parents died, Seto," Téa admitted. "Maybe you could stop by the house tonight just to say hello."  
  
"Now it's my turn to decline that wonderful proposition. I promised my brother that I'd spend some time with him tonight. Listen, I've got to go, but plan on that dinner Friday. It'll be nice to go out with someone who's not superficial or trying to yank me into an unwanted merger or whatever. Okay?" he asked.  
  
"Sounds good," Téa replied. "Oh, Seto, I have a little bit of a surprise for you but you won't know what it is until tomorrow. I don't know if you'll like it or not, but try to be open-minded about it alright?"  
  
"I'll try but if it's something weird, I can't guarantee," he joked. "What is it?"  
  
"I can't tell you, but I'll just say that at about noon tomorrow, make sure you have your television set on KTLD 13."  
  
"Whatever you say. Talk to you later Téa," he said, waiting for her goodbye.  
  
"Yeah, bye Seto. Come and see me when you can," Téa responded quietly. When she heard the audible click of the other line, she put her own phone down and placed her chin on top of folded hands, staring blankly in front of her. What would he think when he found out what her surprise was?  
  
***  
  
"Harry, is the press ready?" Téa asked, holding her sisters' hands, one on either side of her securely. Harry Jackson nodded and handed Téa a glass of water, as well as Arashi and Kiri. He looked over them and smiled faintly. They had always been a handsome family.  
  
Téa and the girls were dressed completely in black, the only other color being the white of Téa's blouse that barely peeked through her suit jacket. Her skirt was knee-length, and she wore black nylons and heels. The two girls that stood quietly at her sides were clad in black as well, Arashi the older in a skirt and button-up shirt with black tights and sandals, her hair pulled into a loose half-ponytail while Kiri had on a little dress that dropped almost to her feet with a satin ribbon around her waist, black tights, and shoes. Téa had decided to leave her hair down for the occasion and was holding back tears forcefully, the blue orbs glazed and threatening to spill over. Every once-in-a-while, one of the two little girls would sniffle, but then Téa would pull them to her side and shush them gently, hugging them tightly to her and comforting them.  
  
"Are you ready Téa?" Harry asked the huddled bunch, feeling as if he was intruding on a private moment as Téa pressed a kiss to both Arashi and Kiri's foreheads. The young woman looked up, her voice locked up, and merely nodded, standing yet still holding to the hands of sisters like a lifeline.  
  
***  
  
Seto Kaiba reclined in his chair, watching the television as Téa had told him to, his most trusted advisor seated at his side.  
  
"Sir, would you like to go over the papers concerning the merger with Hurikama Inc.?" the old man asked, the wrinkles around his mouth from years of smiles moving slightly with the words and his bushy white eyebrows raising slightly. Seto gave him a quick glance and smile but shook his head.  
  
"After this. A very good friend of mine told me I had a surprise today and that I needed to watch this," he explained carefully. "Go ahead and place those papers down for a short while old friend." Jacob Hollman nodded and set them down on Kaiba's desk before leaning back in his own chair and watching as his associate Harry Jackson approached the podium on t.v..  
  
"What is Harry doing?" Seto wondered aloud.  
  
***  
  
"Ladies and gentlemen, today we have called you all together for a press conference to bestow upon you some very grave news as well as a new season. I will not be giving this announcement but I would like to introduce to you a family friend of mine, as well as my goddaughter, Téa Gardner and her two sisters." Harry clapped and stepped aside and let Téa move up to the podium, letting go of Arashi and Kiri as Harry picked them up and held them in his arms.  
  
"First of all, I thank you all for attending this press conference today. I will not waste time on pleasantries or an introduction because what I have to say can never be given words that can express the depth of the situation. I am aware of the rumors going around that speculate Kevin Hurikama has left the business, gone into seclusion, or sold his company and all shares to a rival company, all of which are so very far from the truth. I am here to clear that matter up immediately. My father and mother, Kevin and Tamoya Hurikama, were killed in a car accident almost a week ago. Two young men participating in a game they called 'chicken' were racing at each other from opposite ends of our street and struck their car, killing my mother instantly and shortly after, my father followed. The car was completely severed.  
  
"I am sure that many of you do not recognize me or understand how I relate to all of this since my last name is Gardner, but that is only an alias my parents gave us so that we could have a chance at a normal life. But with their deaths, I now drop that name and reclaim my birth name, Hurikama, and with a heavy heart, take my father's position as owner of Hurikama Inc. I was unaware, until yesterday, that my father had meant for me to inherit the company and take control of it in a very short time since he was planning on retiring. I'd like to tell all of my father's friends and associates that whatever he was involved in or planning to begin will continue on in his memory. Thank you." Téa stepped down even as the questions exploded from the press and quickly took her sisters away from the mobbing press while Harry took care of the questions. There was no way she was going to deal with them now, not when her sisters were in tears and she felt like passing out. She only hoped that Kaiba hadn't gone into shock.  
  
***  
  
"Bloody hell!" Kaiba exclaimed as Téa claimed her father to be Kevin Hurikama. It was absolutely unbelievable. Kevin was gone. He hadn't even had the foggiest idea about why his soon-to-be business partner had seemingly disappeared. His outburst turned empathetic as he watched Tea's eyes glow with unshed tears and her voice cracking with emotion. He wanted to be there with her, to hold her and tell her she'd make it through alright. He needed to be there with her, for her! Standing up without a word and grabbing his jacket from the back of his chair, he raced out of his office, his mind focusing only on one thing: get to Tea.  
  
***  
  
End of Chapter 5. Well, what did you think? Was it long enough? This thing was a monster to write, and rightly justified in it's length since I took so long to update. I can't promise when the next chapter will be coming out, but I am sincerely praying that it will not be another four months. Please be patient with me, I'm juggling school, church activities, social interaction with friends (I can't very well be a hermit here!), AND writing.  
  
If you'd like me to email you when I update, just drop me an email or simply leave your address in a review so that I know. I don't mind letting everyone know since I myself can't say when the updates will come.  
  
Question of the week returns: What is your all-time favorite book? Fan-fic? I'm always looking for something to read that's good quality, either on the net or an actual, good old paper-back to get ideas or inspiration. Fan-fic wise, I'm looking for anything Yu-Gi-Oh!, Sailor Moon, or Rurouni Kenshin since those are the only animes I'm familiar with. Any and all suggestions are welcome! Also, if you know of any contests that I could enter with my stuff, let me know. I'd like to test my skills against other writers in the fanfic world.  
  
REPLYING TO THE REVIEWS:  
  
Anzu576 - Thank you! I always love a good review on how I'm doing. Lets me know that the masses enjoy my work!  
  
Quickening - Sorry that Tea seems Marysue-ish. Yes her dad had a mansion built for her. But if you really want to get into it, Kaiba has an entire freakin' company at his beck and call as well as his own house and whatever else he has in reality. Not to mention whatever else I may add in this fic. However, I understand what you're saying and maybe I did go overboard a bit, but if I'm dumping myself over the edge, might as well go all the way, right? Your positive feedback was adored. Thanks!  
  
Saiyan Rage - Your continued support is marvelous. You help to boost my ego a bit every time. *blushes* Thanks for the comments.  
  
Profiler 120 - Thanks!  
  
SeraphStar - Thanks!  
  
Cranky Cathe - I'm glad someone out there doesn't think I'm a nerd. *adjusts her pocket protector... just kidding* Gracias for the kind words.  
  
Lyderia - I'm pleased you like how this thing is shaping up. It's become more of a monster than I first thought. Your support is appreciated.  
  
Dark Wings of Faith - You're still reading? I would have thought I'd scared someone off by now. Thanks for sticking around and your encouragement!  
  
American BadAss - Arigato, especially for the sites.  
  
Tara-hime - If I could give anyone a hug, you would definitely be at the top of the list. Your continued support from the very beginning continues to help keep me going and your lengthy (gotta love those!) reviews and questions make me blush and keep me on my toes. I am so grateful for your questions and suggestions!  
  
Starkitty - Thanks!  
  
Guardian Kysra - You would also be on the 'Hug' list. Since the first chapter, you've been there pushing me along with your kind words and I must say, you make me blush occasionally. I'm so glad the kiss lived up to expectations, or perhaps more. I aim to please, you know. Your critiques and sometimes analytical views, though all positive as of yet that I'm aware of, are truly helpful and appreciated!  
  
Please review, I love reading your comments on my work guys! Or email, that's ALWAYS wonderful!  
  
Atlantis *^_^*  
  
If you ever want to talk fics or my work on a more direct level, you can IM me. Screen name: godscartungrrl 


	6. Chapter 6

Riddles of the Heart written by Atlantis © 2002  
  
I don't think I'm gonna waste my breath on heart-felt apologies because I know you all want to kill me for the long wait, regardless of what I say. Oh well. If you kill me, then you'll never get an update ever again! Ha! Take that!  
  
I said it wouldn't take another four months and I was right: just barely. Okay, so it was two and a half weeks past three months, but it still wasn't four! I'm slowly getting better.  
  
Thank you to all of my reviewers from the last chapter: Aaron Chang, BBB, kawaii* cherry, LadySilverDragon2, ShinakaStar, SailorPanda, Dazma, Lita Maxwell, Raye, Lonely Night Angel, DarkSetoKaiba, Saiyan Rage, Ferret Girl, Serena4, Tara-hime, American Badass, SpiritAnzu, Guardian Kysra, starkitty, and Quickening. My replies to your marvelous reviews will once again be at the end.  
  
Disclaimer: Yes! I admit it! I own Yu-Gi-Oh! and everything affiliated with it. If you touch one little thing, I'll sue your pants off... Huh? Oh, it was just a dream... *goes into a corner and cries*  
  
Rating: PG-13  
  
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Trust in the Lord and do good. Then you will live safely in the land and prosper. Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you your heart's desires.  
  
Psalm 37:3&4  
  
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PART 6  
  
After Harry had answered any and all questions regarding the girls and the death of their parents, he excused himself, saying that the conference had now ended and ushered Téa and her sisters into a building across the way from the podium. As soon as they made it inside the door, Téa knelt by her sisters' sides, pulling a handkerchief from one of her pockets and gently removed the tears from their faces. Arashi and Kiri buried their faces into Téa's sides, their small arms attempting to span her waist and hug her tightly.  
  
Tears crept out of Téa's eyes as she kissed the tops of the little girls' heads and pulled them closer, sighing into their hair and smiling faintly. Reluctantly, after a few minutes, Téa stood and pulled away from them because kneeling on high-heels was murder to her feet. They trailed after her to a plush couch that sat up against the far wall and folded themselves on either side of her, cuddling up and shutting their little eyes. Téa's arms wrapped around them securely and within ten minutes, both were soundly asleep.  
  
Letting her head fall back against the couch, the teen breathed out steadily and stared at the ceiling, content to have her sisters so near to her, trusting her. She stretched her neck as she looked back down; Harry stood by the door they had entered, whispering to another man with an earpiece and a black suit before the guard nodded and shut the door behind him as he left. Harry turned as he wiped his forehead, noticing Téa's stare. A small smile lifted the corners of his lips and the corners of his eyes crinkled, making him look more like a grandfather than a lawyer.  
  
"I don't know how you've always been able to do that with them," he said quietly, indicating the little girls, "but you surely have a gift." He took a few steps toward the trio. "You look exhausted."  
  
"You're right," came the simple reply. "Maybe I shouldn't have taken the girls to the press conference today. It really shook them up, especially with all of the cameras and flashing lights. They were so intimidated and they certainly didn't need to feel any smaller in the world than they have been lately," Téa's tired voice added. "But I can't undo the fact that they were there today so they'll just have to take it in their stride. Just like me."  
  
"Would you like to rest?" Harry asked, kneeling in front of Téa and putting a hand on her knee. She nodded. "How 'bout I take these two up to the suite upstairs where they can nap in peace and you can crash in here and unwind?" Téa smiled gratefully at him and gingerly removed her arms from around Arashi and Kiri's small bodies, allowing Harry to take one in each arm, their heads cradled against his shoulders. He smiled at her as he passed through the doorway that led to another room and up the stairs before Téa finally let her muscles relax fully.  
  
Standing up, she shrugged off her jacket and unbuttoned the cuffs of her blouse, as well as the top two buttons that led up to her neck before tossing her shoes into a corner. She kneaded the pads of her feet for a few moments before sinking back into the leather couch after flipping a switch to turn on the above ceiling fan. Cool air whirled around her as she laid down, stretching across the furniture with a worried countenance.  
  
Confusion and fear filled her mind as she thought about the consequences of keeping her life so secretive. It was enough to have Kaiba know the truth about her family after spending time with her and comforting her after her parents' death, but for the rest of the nation and her *friends* to find out everything that happened through a newscast... the thought was almost unbearable. She wouldn't blame them if they were furious at her for keeping so much from them. After all, they were supposed to be her best friends and all she had ever done was put up a happy school girl facade.  
  
Deciding not to dwell on it too much, Téa shifted to her side and gazed at the room around her. From the outside it looked like an old factory or warehouse, when in fact it was more of an after-conference retreat, at least until the press disappeared completely. The colors were all neutral but had a subtle liveliness that kept it from being bland. Soft, thick carpet covered the entire floor and was a light beige; light brown leather furniture was spaced throughout the room so that numerous people could be comfortable; several stylish coffee tables were dispersed between the chairs; and stand-up lamps stood as sentry every few feet to keep the room well-lit. It was dark now though because Téa had turned off the lights, deciding she'd rather think and brood in the dark.  
  
She flipped to her other side so that her back faced the wall and figured she may as well try to rest. The only problem was, her eyes refused to stay closed. Téa felt wired and agitated, and unbelievably alone. Her skin shivered but not from the cold. Perhaps she should have gone upstairs with her sisters because at least then she wouldn't be by herself. Harry had mentioned the day before that she was handling herself marvelously, especially since the accident was still so fresh in her mind and she was refusing counseling. Téa couldn't have felt more like a liar in her entire life.  
  
Yes, she had decided to work on her problems alone, but the problem with that was that she was alone. Left to fend off the demons of her nightmares by herself, the insecurities that made her shake with shame, and the fears of losing others who meant so much more to her... all alone. Nobody knew that she woke up in the middle of the night in a cold sweat and jumped up to check on her sisters, watching them sleep, and ended up sitting in their doorway the rest of the night just to hear them breathing. Nobody knew that she still had thoughts of suicide that passed through her mind. And nobody knew of the cleverly hidden bandages around her wrists that hid the secrets only the knives in her kitchen knew about.  
  
A broken sob passed through her lips and her body tightened, trying to come in on itself and feel closer to something.  
  
She nearly jumped when a firm hand ran down her back slowly, with a firm but gentle pressure that made its way up again. Turning her head, she gasped through tear-clouded eyes to see the blurred image of Seto Kaiba on his knees by her side, his hand still comforting her. Sitting up and turning, she pulled him into a fierce hug, crying into his neck and gasped for breath as if she had been drowning. He sidled up next to her on the couch and his arms made their way around her back, pulling her firmly into his chest where her head dropped into the space between his shoulder and neck.  
  
He shushed her gently, his fingers trailing up her back and into her hair, his body rocking to assuage whatever anguish she was feeling. Resting his chin atop her hair, his mouth mumbled comforting words to her that neither he nor Téa really cared about. All that mattered was that she was in his arms and he was there for her. Tilting her back but keeping his embrace tight, Kaiba laid her back down on the couch and himself as well, both of them able to fit on the large cushions easily, so as to let her body relax. She was wound tighter than a spring and it certainly wasn't helping to calm her down being in that condition!  
  
Nestling Téa between his body and the back of the couch, he felt her finally start to slow down in her crying, hiccupping occasionally between each heart-wrenching sob and shivering against his chest. Knowing she needed as much touch as possible, Seto wrapped one of his legs over Téa's and pulled her as close as she could get to him, allowing her to feel the beating of his heart through his chest and the rushing of his blood through warm arteries and veins. Minutes passed and she finally quieted down, one of her arms still thrown desperately around his neck and shoulders while the other grabbed viciously at his shirt. Seto had no idea what was wrong, but was somewhat glad that he was able to help her and breathed in the clean scent of her hair as he cuddled her body. His lips pressed against her forehead with infinite care and the warmth there surprised him.  
  
Pulling back only slightly, he found Téa's bleary eyes watching him, half-closed and still glazed with tears. Feeling bad about it, Kaiba couldn't help but admire her beauty even through her pain: the sooty lashes that framed those shining blue orbs, pink nose, swollen cheeks, and lips that tempted him more than gold tempted Midas. Not to mention the sinful body that he was stretched entirely against, nearly forcing his thoughts into naughty territory if not for the despair he watched soar through her eyes. The room was so quiet as they stared at each other that Kaiba could hear the quick little gasps of air passing through Téa's lips and he felt worry slice through him.  
  
"You've got a fever," he told her quietly. She said nothing in response, simply shut her eyes and pushed her nose against his neck, sniffling and rubbing against him. Biting down on his lip till it nearly drew blood, Kaiba sucked air through his teeth. "Baby," he said affectionately, "I want to take care of you but you make it so damn hard." The devil in his mind threw in a reference to a certain body part in regards to his statement and Seto himself beat the little imp mentally with a mallet until his body was crumpled in a corner and swirlies whirled in his eyes. He would have none of that while his girl was hurting!! Téa murmured something against his throat, making his skin tingle.  
  
"Thank you," she said once more, her hand gentling on his imported shirt. Téa breathed deeply and began to push herself up but Kaiba caught her and kept her down. Instead, he sat up, careful of Téa to the extent of putting some of his limbs in awkward and painful positions until his back was upright against the couch and his legs were settled, feet planted on the plush carpet. Yanking a throw pillow from a nearby chair, he placed it on his lap and then helped Téa settle herself there as well. Her glassy eyes stared up at him in confusion and then shut languidly as his fingers began to trail through her hair, running over her scalp to massage and then gently pulling at the silky strands until they were spread all over his legs.  
  
After some time of Kaiba's gentle petting and grooming, Téa fell asleep, her breaths finally even and steady, face relaxed in repose. Kaiba's thoughts drifted over his strange care for the girl in his lap before worriedly focusing on the fact that she was unwell. It didn't seem like her to allow herself to get sick and he wondered, not for the first time, if she was handling the death of her parents as well as everyone presumed. He'd be one of the first in line to say that she looked like she was doing fine, but having been through it himself, he knew better. His brow wrinkled in thought. She was making herself sick, of that he was positive, but why was the true question.  
  
Was it pressure?  
  
The sudden acquisition of a global company?  
  
The deaths of her parents?  
  
Having to take care of her sisters on her own?  
  
Worry over how she was going to stay updated with all of her school work?  
  
Everything?  
  
Or nothing?  
  
Shaking his head, Seto found it easier not to travel down that road. There were far too many rabbit trails that he could find himself on and then, before he knew it, he'd start making assumptions. And playing guessing games about Téa was not something he wanted to do. His feelings for her went deeper than that. How deep, exactly, he wasn't sure, but nobody had ever come this close to his heart besides Mokuba since his parents had died and he didn't want to let go of the feelings... even at the risk of being hurt.  
  
He knew what people said: that he was cold and heartless because he was afraid of being hurt, obviously because he had been hurt in the past. Well, he thought sarcastically, they were right that he had been hurt, but he was in no way afraid of caring for someone. In fact he embraced the idea with arms so wide open that it frightened him, but he couldn't just let anyone in. No superficial friends were going to weasel in on what he had worked so hard for, with blood, sweat, and tears.  
  
His mind suddenly jumped to the press conference and the announcement that Téa had made. Until now, it hadn't really sunk in, but now that the reality was trickling in, he was glad he was sitting down. Kevin was dead. Mr. Hurikama and Mr. Gardner were one in the same. Téa was taking control of a company that rivaled his own and would soon be his business partner... It was almost too much. Absently he wondered, almost marveled at how she had been able to hide all of this from people, from her friends, and from him for so long. She seemed like any other middle-class girl, going to high school, hanging out with friends, active and a good student but suddenly she was an entirely different person. Selfishly, Kaiba thought to himself that he might have more of a chance with her now that he knew she was in his social class. He wanted to bash his head in with a bat; he felt so damn shallow.  
  
Chewing the side of his lip, he took up running his fingers through Téa's hair once more, feeling a sense of calm wash over him as he did so. It was almost like he was in a family setting and he enjoyed basking in the warmth he felt and the trust that Téa had in him to sleep on his lap. Desiring a doze himself, he tilted his head back on the couch and settled deeper into the cushions, rolling his shoulders. Leaving his right hand over Téa's hair, he moved his left hand to entwine with one of Téa's even as she slept. He heard her sigh and gave a little smile before shutting his eyes and succumbing to the lull of a short rest.  
  
***  
  
Téa opened her eyes to see an unfamiliar fan whirring above her and in an all-too-comfortable position. Her head was pillowed in Seto Kaiba's lap and his hands were in her hair and locked with her own: his touch gentle. Looking up at the young man who was sleeping peacefully, she stifled a yawn with her free hand, her gaze soft on him. He looked boyish with hair just a tad too long that fell over his eyes and brushed the sides of his face and a small pout on his firm lips. His shoulders were relaxed, sagging into the expensive leather without a care in the world, unafraid that anyone would see him in a posture that was something other than stiff and formal. Craning her neck, she noticed that he was wearing black lace-up shoes, a black pair of slacks which she thought were Dockers, a long- sleeved baby blue shirt which stretched across his torso in a tempting fashion with the top two buttons undone, and a fine leather jacket slung across his shoulders.  
  
"Damn him for looking good even when he sleeps," Téa muttered with another yawn.  
  
She felt his hand clasping hers and she tightened her grip on him, giving his hand a sentimental squeeze. Bending her knees, Téa set her legs up so that they wouldn't get cramped, wiggling her toes in her confining nylons. Trying to open her eyes all the way, she discovered it was much too painful and decided instead to gaze at the world through half-closed lids. Her head was throbbing now and she put a hand to her forehead, hissing through her teeth when it felt like a mallet was smashing her brains in. She groaned, biting her lip and turning her body to get away from the light in the room, minimal as it was, and found her cheek resting against a firm stomach. Her face heated and she knew she was blushing.  
  
Kaiba stirred and then stilled, causing Téa to think he hadn't wakened until his husky voice chuckled, "Never thought I'd see the day when someone chose my stomach over a pillow."  
  
"Nghhhhh," Téa groaned, holding her head. Even Seto's quiet laughter was making the pain worse. He stopped and ran his fingers over her cheek.  
  
"You let yourself get sick," he whispered, bending at the waist to talk into her ear, careful of her head. "You should be in bed with medicines and fluids," he chided softly.  
  
"I know," she replied so softly that Kaiba had to strain to hear her words.  
  
"Do you want me to take you home?" he questioned, moving his arms to cradle her head against his chest. She nodded, mewling in pain as even that simple movement sent pain shooting through her head. Gently, Kaiba lifted her head and removed the pillow and slid her body up until she was sitting on his lap, then, keeping an arm firmly around her back, slipped the other beneath her knees and stood, letting her shield her eyes in his jacket. Leaving her shoes and jacket, he walked over to the door and tapped on it gently with his foot, opening to reveal a security guard who held the door for them and then opened the door to Kaiba's waiting limousine. Settling them inside the long vehicle where Téa could be most comfortable, he signaled silently to his driver to get going. The engine was no more than a faint purr as they pulled away from the curb and into the streets, making their way to the opposite side of town.  
  
When Kaiba was sure that Téa had fallen asleep again, he pulled his phone out of his pocket and called Harry, making sure to tell the older man that Téa was with him and that her sisters should be taken home as well so that Téa wouldn't worry. He also informed Harry that Téa was running a fever and shouldn't be allowed to go to work for at least the rest of the week and to have someone watch over her to make sure she got better.  
  
"Not to be presumptuous sir," Harry said softly, "but is there any way you could take care of her?"  
  
"Don't I wish," Kaiba replied, "but I still have a company to run myself. And with this merger coming up quick, I really need to make sure everything here is prepared and up to par." He paused. "Could you remember to bring Téa's things to her house when you bring her sisters? I left them there," the young man added, staring down at the young woman who was situated in his lap with her head resting against his shoulder.  
  
"That wouldn't be a problem. I'll see you tomorrow, then?"  
  
"Yes. Goodbye Harry."  
  
"Goodbye Kaiba." The phone clicked and Seto shoved it back in his pocket, then gave his driver directions to Téa's home which they arrived at within twenty minutes. Taking the sleeping girl up into his arms once again, he carried her to the door where he found a security guard holding the door open, obviously having been given an extra key by Harry Jackson so as to let them in without disturbing Téa's sleep to ask her for her key. Kaiba slipped into the house without a sound, glancing around before riveting his eyes on the door at the end of the bottom floor hallway. A certain heated memory had leaped into his mind the moment he looked into the kitchen and while Téa was sick, he didn't want to be thinking like that.  
  
Pushing her door open with his foot, he gazed at her sanctuary. It wasn't what he expected yet seemed to fit her. On her walls were pictures of her family smiling in front of the Eiffel Tower in Paris, the Twin Towers before they had fallen in New York, the Winter Olympics in Nagano and several professional paintings of the Greek goddess Athena. A queen bed sat in the center of her room, covered with a thick comforter and dark blue sheets decorated with gold moons and stars with matching pillows while an old, raggedy teddy bear sat in the middle, slumped on his side carelessly. Her dresser top served as a knick-knack shelf and there, small portraits of her with her friends grinned up at him from between crystal seals that balanced glass balls on their noses and a music box where a pink ballerina stood poised and ready to dance. Against the opposite wall was her vanity which had a large framed mirror and a few bottles of perfume atop it. Her closet was off to the right in the far corner with sliding mirror doors and he could see a few pairs of shoes peeking out at him where they had been thrown. The fan above them turned on its lowest setting, allowing a cool current of air to circulate through the room.  
  
Kaiba pressed a sweet kiss against Téa's still-warm forehead and laid her down on her bed, careful not to crush the bear, and wishing he could stay with her. The space next to her slumbering body called to him, beckoning him to sleep beside her, to take this little slice of Heaven and enjoy it at least for the rest of the day before the world once again intruded. Shaking his head and going to the bathroom, he searched for some kind of pain reliever to alleviate her headache and bring her temperature back down. Finding a bottle of Excedrin, he palmed two of them and then traveled to the kitchen where he made his mission to find a small cup and fill it with orange juice.  
  
Satisfied that he had made it through the kitchen without one dirty thought, he returned triumphantly to Téa's room and saw her blinking at him, her eyes squinting and pained. Pressing his lips together, he approached her and helped her sit up, handing her the pills and then the orange juice to follow with. She gulped them down and finished the cup at Seto's insistence, then laid back down and shut her eyes against the pillow. Kaiba stood to go, stopping at her doorway to look back at her before muttering, "Screw it."  
  
He slid his shoes and coat off, drooping it over the vanity chair before sliding in next to Téa, wrapping his arms securely around her waist and pulling her close. His head rested across from hers and he watched her sleep for a while before letting himself fall asleep once again, not noticing the time and not caring.  
  
***  
  
It was close to seven when he finally woke up, his mind groggy and limbs unwilling to cooperate. He shook his head to rid himself of the sleepiness that still clung to him and reached for Téa to pull her closer but instead frowned when his arms found nothing but sheets and blankets. Opening his eyes rapidly, he blinked and was ready to jump up and search for her, his mind already in frantic overdrive after his dream, when he saw her sitting on the sill of her window. She had a book propped up against bent legs and looked so fragile in the cool blue light of the moon coming through the glass, as well as the small lamp by her side. Her head turned to regard him and she gave him a soft smile which would have undoubtedly brought him to his knees had he not been laying down.  
  
"You are supposed to be resting," he told her, sitting up and rolling his shoulders as he rubbed his eyes. Téa giggled quietly.  
  
"You are such a worry-wart," she joked, closing her book and setting it in her lap. Kaiba couldn't help but feel in awe at her movements, so fluid and smooth like the waters in a fountain, and had to shut his mouth when he realized it was hanging open.  
  
"I am not," Seto replied indignantly, turning his face away and then sneaking a peek to see if she thought he was joking. By the way she bit her lip and the twinkle in her glazed eyes, he knew that she knew.  
  
"I have been resting all day long, I'm drinking plenty of fluids," she said as she motioned to the large cups of water and orange juice by her side, "I took my medicine, and I've even changed into jammies to be more comfortable. What else could I possibly do?" Her hands rubbed over the familiar blue cow pajamas and Kaiba grinned before standing and walking over to her, sitting on the edge of the couch-like sill. His finger looped under one of her spaghetti straps and tugged on it playfully, sliding it over her shoulder.  
  
"You'll catch your death in these pjs," he chuckled. Téa gasped when he leaned forward and placed a warm kiss on the skin of her shoulder before pulling the strap back into place. "Are you feeling better?" She nodded.  
  
"Much better. My headache is gone and so are the chills, but I've still got a fever. Last time I checked it was around one-hundred. I can thank you for getting rid of my chills though," Téa added as she leaned forward toward Kaiba's ear. "You're better than a hot water bottle when you want to be." She watched him shiver and took delight in his unease but soon found herself face to face with him and leaning back, his arms on either side of her head with palms pressed against the wall.  
  
"I guess it just depends on the girl I'm with," he said softly, his eyes trying to convey a special message. She understood what he was saying but decided she would tease him since the words could be misconstrued so easily.  
  
"There'd better NOT be any other girls," she said threateningly, grabbing the collar of his shirt and yanking him closer. Kaiba blinked.  
  
"Th-that's not what I meant!" he stammered, his lips still moving afterwards with no words coming out. He watched the facade of threatening blue before him melt into laughter and she jerked back, futilely hiding her giggles behind her hands. "Such a tease," he whispered darkly, turning an innocent kiss on her temple to something utterly sensual. Téa's laughing stopped and her breathing became sharp pants as Kaiba's lips trailed down her face, planting kisses all along her cheeks and chin and nipping at her jaw gently. Her head fell back and his attentions went to her pale neck which was as warm as his lips, still carrying the heat of the fever.  
  
Scooting closer to Téa, he angled his head and laid open-mouthed kisses against her throat, feeling her pulse leap beneath his touch. At the junction between her creamy neck and shoulder, he bit her and smoothed over it with his tongue, reveling in Téa's reaction over it. Her hands latched onto his sides, thumbs sliding over his body through his shirt, barely caressing muscles through the material. His growl against her throat vibrated and made her shiver when she found his face with slender fingers and pulled his face up to meet hers, blue locking together.  
  
"Don't," she said quietly.  
  
"What?" Kaiba asked of her, his head tilting to the side boyishly. She closed her eyes and looked away and his confusion began to turn into hurt. "Why?" He watched her blush and was confused again. She played more havoc on his emotions and feelings than even worrying about Mokuba did!  
  
"Please, don't. You know where this is leading and personally, I'd like to kiss you properly, but that can't happen while I'm sick. I don't want you getting whatever it is I've got. Don't get me wrong, your lips feel entirely wonderful and I can't describe half of what you make me feel when you touch me, but I want to be able to reciprocate my appreciation and I can't right now. Is that alright? Did I offend you?" Téa asked him, one hand rising to touch his cheek gently. He turned his face and pressed a kiss into her palm and trailed light-as-air touches down to her wrist before turning his tumultuous gaze on her, effectively stealing her breath from her.  
  
"I'll do whatever you want. It's almost worth getting sick over, in my opinion," he whispered conspiratorially to her, catching her lips with the barest kiss. "The next time I see you and you are well, I'll make sure to make up for this time," Kaiba promised. Tea gave him a small, thankful smile and he pulled her into his arms once more, lifting her away from the window and depositing her on her bed.  
  
"Thank you for today, Seto," Tea whispered as Kaiba pulled the sheets and covers over her still-tired body. She yawned and blinked her sleepy eyes, trying to keep her gaze on the young man that had morphed into something so wonderful since she had met him. "You took care of me and didn't even say anything about my father or the company. I don't think you realize how much that means to me..." she trailed off. Kaiba smiled down at her.  
  
"There'll be time enough to talk about those things. You're my girl Tea and I don't want anything happening to you. I'd take care of you but real life is screaming at me even now to return to the business world and run a corporation. Take care of yourself and I'll see you and your sisters Friday night for that dinner, okay?" Kaiba said, leaning over her and finding out that she had drifted off to sleep. He shook his head. He didn't mind.  
  
Sitting down on the vanity chair, he tied his shoes back on and pulled on his jacket before leaving Tea's room, a fond shine in his eyes gleaming as he walked away down the hall. He checked on Tea's sleeping sisters quickly, making sure that the silent lumps were doing alright before making his way back downstairs and out the door, careful to lock it with the key that the guard had given him earlier. Patting the key in his pocket, he waited a few moments as his driver, whom he had called a few minutes later to come and take him home, got out and opened his door. When it had been shut and he sat in the furnished interior of the limo, he found his fingers drifting to his pocket where he took the key back out and fingered it, a smile spreading across his face.  
  
***  
  
End of Part 6. Well, what did you think? I did a bit more inner-conflict, deep emotion delving in this chapter than in the previous ones because it needed to be done. How did I do? Can you believe I wrote a chapter than spans over the length of only one day? Geeze, and I was hoping to get to the Friday night dinner get-together....  
  
If you'd like me to email you when I update, just drop me an email or simply leave your address in a review so that I know. I don't mind letting everyone know since I myself can't say when the updates will come.  
  
No question of the week, just a favorite saying of mine: There are only a few PERFECT people in the world. The rest... are right-handed! Boo-yah! Can you guess which hand *I* write with?  
  
REPLYING TO THE REVIEWS:  
  
Aaron Chang: Aaron, you gave your first review to me? That is, I think, the greatest compliment I can receive! Thanks so much for thinking I'm good enough to spend your review on.  
  
BBB: Well, here's another chapter! No more teary eyes for you!  
  
kawaii* cherry: It has NOT been four months, just so you know. Almost, but not quite! I'm so proud of myself. Thanks!  
  
LadySilverDragon2: Gratzi!  
  
ShinakaStar: In all honesty, there's not that many for me to compare to, but thanks anyway!  
  
SailorPanda: That is one of the longest reviews I've ever gotten. Thanks a bunch for the kind words and the different recommendations! Totally appreciated!  
  
Dazma: Did I really make your day better? *gives Dazma huggles* Now it's twice as good. Hope you liked this chapter and sorry again about taking so long.  
  
Lita Maxwell: I'm SO glad you liked the kiss. Those can sometimes take a lot out of you when you're writing them. Glad you enjoy Kaiba's good and bad consciences.  
  
Raye: Don't you 'grr' at me! *chuckles* Thanks!  
  
Lonely Night Angel: *gulps* You've been counting the seconds?!?! I am in such big trouble...  
  
DarkSetoKaiba: Never fear, sometimes it just takes a little longer to get accepted. Keep trying and remember that a real writer writes for themself and *then* for the fans. Thanks!  
  
Saiyan Rage: Finally, somebody who can understand! Your kind words perked me up and made me feel a little better about the last chapter. I know I'm overdoing a few parts in this fic, inheriting a company is a little massive, but it is fiction after all!  
  
Ferret Girl: Your favorite fic is this one! *puts hand to forehead* Wow, thanks! Professional, huh? I hope my name is on the bookshelves someday, that'd be a dream come true.  
  
Serena4: AWWWWWW! Your comments were sooooooooooooo cute!  
  
Tara-hime: Don't you take that tone of voice with me! *giggles* Just kidding. Glad to make you feel warm and fuzzy inside. Hope this chapter did the same as well. This chappy made me think of a warm blanket.... So comfy and toasty! MMMM! A Seto blanket! *huggles blanket*  
  
American Badass: It's okay, I certainly have no qualms about you taking your time, as long you don't have any about me taking mine... hehe.  
  
SpiritAnzu: Thankies!  
  
Guardian Kysra: He does have a cute tushy, doesn't he? *grins* Thanks SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO much for the great words and I'm glad that you are still enjoying this fic, even though the updates are few and far between. Your insight on this fic sometimes seems a little deeper than even my own! And I'm writing this thing! *mutters about ESP*  
  
starkitty: Glad to hear your thoughts about Tea. We're just about on the same page, there. Thank you for the lengthy review!  
  
Quickening: I sure hope you haven't forgotten this fic! You came so close last time that I'm worried now! I don't want to lose your nice words and encouragement, especially since you take the time to write more that a few words or two lines! *huggles* Haven't gotten much of a chance to check out your stuff, but I'll do that soon!  
  
Please review, I love reading your comments on my work guys! Or email, that's ALWAYS wonderful!  
  
Atlantis *^_^*  
  
If you ever want to talk fics or my work on a more direct level, you can IM me. Screen name: godscartungrrl 


	7. Chapter 7

Riddles of the Heart written by Atlantis © 2002  
  
I don't think I will try to apologize simply because I have been so busy that it is no fault of my own that I haven't been able to write or post. The strain of several AP courses has really been taking a toll on me lately and finals are next week, but I thought maybe a pre-Christmas gift to you all would make you feel better. I hope there are no hard feelings towards me; I really do try hard!  
  
***GROUP GROUP GROUP GROUP GROUP GROUP GROUP GROUP GROUP GROUP*** I now have a Yahoo! group that all of you can join to discuss my fiction, write and post your own, or simply gab with other people. If you're interested, check out my profile since fanfiction.net doesn't allow direct linking. It will also be a place where you can read my stuff when fanfiction.net is down.  
  
Thank you to everyone who reviewed on the last chapter: Azurite, kikoken, Evelyn15, hieiandbotan4ever, coolwriter5, Morning Mist, deity of death1, Lita Maxwell, Ana, Krystal_tears, Mystical Miyuki, BabyIce, stardreamer090, Guardian Kysra, Aaron, TeaFan123, kaz, Lynderia, Tara-hime, Card-Master, Serena4, AmericanBadAss, Ferret Girl, Thallein, DarkSetoKaiba, and DarkMagicianGurl89. As always, replies to the reviews will be at the end.  
  
Disclaimer: I'm feeling too lazy to actually say that Yu-Gi-Oh! isn't mine, so I'll just go ahead and claim it and see if anyone actually does anything about it... meh.  
  
Rating: PG-13  
  
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In the same way, some think one day is more holy than another day, while others think every day is alike. Each person should have a personal conviction about this matter.  
  
Romans 14:5  
  
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PART 7  
  
It was to the doorbell that Téa awoke to the next morning and she threw a pillow over her head in an attempt to drown out the sound. Her head was pounding in tune with the tick of her clock and the intermittent calls of the doorbell, proving to her that it was not a nightmare and that she really had to get up. Puffing her cheeks out with a breath of air and gradually opening her eyes, she managed to sit up and look somewhat conscious before Arashi opened up her door and peeked inside, big eyes wide with a question.  
  
"Are you feeling better?" she asked shyly, moving into the room and to the bed when Téa motioned to her. Téa nodded and took the smaller girl in a hug, rubbing her hair motherly before leaning back against her headboard.  
  
"Just a little sick, but getting better," Téa told Arashi.  
  
"That's good to hear," a distinct male voice called from the doorway. Téa looked in surprise to see Yami and Yugi standing at the door, Kiri secure in the protective circle of Yami's arms, and Tristan and Joey behind them. Biting her lip and looking away, Téa pulled Arashi closer to her, suddenly more afraid of facing her friends than the press again. Arashi instead wiggled out of Téa's hold and ran out of the room with Kiri, screeching about marshmallow cereal and saying how Téa's friends were boring because they didn't say much. Téa watched them flee with some kind of horror and then shifted her gaze to her friends who looked broken and betrayed. Yami was the first to move forward, sitting himself on the edge of her bed and leaning on his arm over her legs. Yugi sat opposite Yami and Tristan and Joey joined the circle, sitting backwards on two of her chairs and leaning forward. Téa found she couldn't meet any of their eyes.  
  
"I... huh, I have no idea what to say," she whispered, a tear creeping out of the corner of an eye.  
  
"I don't either," Yami said softly. "I'm out of the country for a short while doing a few promotionals for new games and come back to find out the world one of my best friends has turned upside down and she never told me. It hurts Téa."  
  
"Téa," Yugi began unsurely, "did you feel you couldn't talk to us about what happened? I mean, we may be goofballs sometimes, but we're right there when something really matters." The younger boy's violet eyes were wide and confused. Téa shook her head.  
  
"It wasn't like that at all," she told them. "It was just... I really don't know what it was. The way I grew up, it was so different from all of you and the life I had established with you and I didn't want to relive it. Then suddenly my parents were gone and I was alone and had to take care of my sisters and found out I had inherited a company from my father and that I'm supposed to manage it... Sorry I'm babbling. I don't mean this to be any more confusing than it already it," Téa sobbed, burying her face in her knees.  
  
"What I don' understand is why you couldn't come to us but all-a- sudden, hot-shot Kaiba's got priority," Joey spouted. At Téa's surprised face he added, "Your sisters gave us a play-by-play of what's been happnin' lately in about two secs and Kaiba's name came up."  
  
"Why does that matter? He's a good guy and was around when I was hurting. We've got a lot of similarities in the loss area now and we just bonded. I don't have to get new friends approved by you, Joey Wheeler!" Téa cried, outraged. She made to get up but the quick movement and uneasy feelings still remaining in her head made her falter and almost topple to the floor had it not been for Yami's quick arms. Tumbling with a groan into his chest, she attempted to get the starch back into her legs but found it hard to stand on her own. Tears came unheeded from her eyes and she pounded her fists into Yami's chest, not in anger against him but against the world.  
  
With a nod of his head, the other guys left the room so that Yami could comfort the person he was almost closer to than Yugi. He made a grab at her wrists to hold her still and found the carefully concealed bandages, letting out a sharp breath.  
  
"Téa," he asked in a shaky voice, suddenly very afraid, "what are these from?" Téa wouldn't look at him and collapsed to the floor, still crying. Yami followed and knelt in front of her, keeping hold on her wrists and coaxing her into looking at him. "What happened here? And what happened here?" He pointed at her wrists and then at her heart. A fresh batch of tears came streaming down Téa's face and she pitched forward into Yami's embrace, shaking uncontrollably and breaths hiccupping.  
  
"My life was... was over," she cried, muffling the words against the fabric of Yami's shirt. "They were gone, literally in front of my eyes. I love you... guys so much, but they were my family, my parents, my foundation. Without them, I'm just a little girl," Téa confessed. "I'm not done growing up and I can't take all of this on at once and watching my sisters fall apart was more than I could bear. I didn't want to leave them but I didn't want to watch their pain on top of my own. You don't know what it's like." Her head sank and her breaths came in little gasps and Yami pulled as close as he could, cracking sobs choking his throat.  
  
"No. No, I have no idea. I had no idea. You had every right to keep this from us Sweetheart," he shushed into her hair. His hands rubbed over her back to remind her that he was there and that he was solid. "But regardless of whether I know what's going on or not, I want you to know that I'm here and you can fall down knowing that I'll catch you. I'm real and alive Téa, and I am your best friend."  
  
"You can be my friend," Téa said with a sob, "but you and the guys can't be my foundation anymore. Only Seto can be that person, only he can fill that hole in me now. I know he can, Yami. I swear, when I'm with him, I don't forget, but I accept. That's what I need, now and for the rest of my life."  
  
"You love him?" It was an odd question to hear and ask.  
  
"How can I fall in love in less than two weeks?" Téa asked doubtfully, chewing on a nail as she continued to hiccup.  
  
"I've seen stranger things."  
  
***  
  
The rest of the afternoon was spent crying and explaining and eating pizza in the living room. Téa, Yami, Yugi, Tristan, and Joey watched a chick flick, action-adventure, and a comedy, trying to settle the atmosphere a bit after so much discharging of emotion. Téa was settled in the center of her couch and was crowded on every size by grown-male bodies as they reaffirmed themselves in her life, leaving the past behind with their hurt feelings in order to heal Téa's battered spirit. When Arashi and Kiri trotted in carrying 'Finding Nemo', the crew had no choice but to laugh along with the antics of talking fish and surfer-dude turtles. After the movie, Téa was still laughing.  
  
"Squishy," she said, sending herself into a fit of giggles again. Wiping at the tears in her eyes, she tried to quell the laughter then broke up again over the name 'Jellyman'. Her sisters told her she was crazy then proceeded to jump in her lap and squeeze her with hugs, the three of them a mass of high-pitched laughs and squeals. The guys all watched in satisfaction as their friend gained back some of her sanity and communicated through a shared look that they would have to do this type of thing more often. When the phone rang, Téa pushed her sisters away and grabbed up the portable, giving a cordial greeting to the other person before her face lit up even more.  
  
"Seto," she said warmly. "How are you today? Me? I'm doing alright; still running a slight fever but the guys paid me a visit today and we've been having this odd day-long session of bonding. Too bad you can't be here, you could get to know them better," Téa said with a glance at her friends. Joey was practically glowering but the others gave her affirmative nods, which was enough for her. "Oh my gosh, next time we get together, you and your brother and me and my sisters are going to sit down and watch this movie called 'Finding Nemo'. It's an absolute riot... Oh don't be such a stiff. Honestly, when was the last time you watched an animated film? Yeah, that's what I thought. I'll talk to you later, okay? Miss you too." Throughout the entire conversation, which had lasted approximately five minutes, Téa had gotten up and paced up and down the hallway and around the kitchen, a smile constantly on her face, the guys only catching her sides of the conversation.  
  
Yami gave Yugi a look that asked if the younger boy understood the depth of the relationship Téa had established with Kaiba. Yugi nodded and the other guys seemed to have picked up on it too because Tristan was smiling a little and Joey had stopped growling. The moment Téa hung up the phone, the four young men announced that they needed to leave; after all, Joey and Tristan worked nights, and Yugi had promised his grandpa he'd look after the shop. They all filed out of Téa's house, each stopping to give her an encompassing hug (Yami giving her a reassuring kiss on the cheek, too) before taking their leave. Téa watched all of them walk off from her living room window before heading to bed, making sure her little sisters were tucked-in and secure before allowing herself to have one of the most restful sleeps she'd had since the accident.  
  
***  
  
"I can't believe it's already Friday," Téa bemoaned, ringing her hands together. She, Kaiba, his little brother, and her sisters were supposed to get together for dinner and she couldn't help but feel slightly apprehensive. For the last two days, she and Seto had tried to find some time to spend together, either on the phone or otherwise, and every single time had been torn apart by intruding circumstances. Was it a sign, or was she just being paranoid? Her conversation with Yami about her feelings for Seto had stirred her up something awful and she could no longer tell black from white; not that she had done so before, but now it was unbearably difficult to focus on anything but the possibility that there wasn't a correspondence of feelings on Kaiba's part. Her sweaty hands rubbed up and down on her jeans, trying to keep them from shaking as she waited.  
  
"Téa, Téa, Téa," Arashi sing-songed as she pranced into the room, her pink hoodie sporting an angel emblem and sparkly jeans throwing prisms onto the wall of the hallway. Kiri was just behind her, wearing an identical outfit except for the blue coloring of her hoodie and she latched onto her sister's arm, shifting from foot to foot in order to watch her shoes light up with the movement.  
  
"When are we leaving?" Kiri asked, clicking her teeth together and eyes looking at everything at once. "Can we have pizza? Are there gonna be games? What about boys? I don't like boys."  
  
"Me neither," Arashi chimed in. Téa lost some of her nervousness and gave a laugh, then knelt down in front of the two girls and gave each of them a kiss on the forehead. A hug followed and the three girls squirmed together, smiling. Téa fiddled with both of the girls' hoods so that they wouldn't be inside-out and then stood and took their hands, one on each side.  
  
"We are leaving now," she informed them as they left the house, locking the door behind them. "Yes, you can eat pizza," she said as the garage door opened and they approached Téa's truck. After helping Arashi and Kiri in, Téa climbed in herself and made sure that everyone was buckled in before starting the truck. "There will be a ton of games for you to play," she added as they pulled out. "And you have to be good because there will be TWO boys." Téa broke out in laughter at her sisters' outrageous screams.  
  
It wasn't long before the uproar had ended and the little girls beside Téa were singing along with the radio; granted, they were the wrong words, but they were singing all the same.  
  
*I'd give anything to go back to the times when I made up my own lyrics,* Téa giggled to herself. Chewing on her bottom lip, Téa made a right turn onto the main street and watched the road carefully for bad drivers. Her parents' death had not only made her more acutely aware of how painful life could be, but her driving skills had sharpened and she had briefly wondered if she should be a traffic cop. That thought had been ridiculous of course, but nobody had ever said she couldn't entertain other ideas for her future. Bright lights of a nearby carnival flashed against buildings and the sky and Téa picked up on Arashi and Kiri's cries to go there soon and she had given them a non-committal answer which meant in Téa- terms: okay.  
  
There were a series of three more rights, two lefts, another right and a left before Téa pulled into the parking lot of a pizza place, complete with play-place and arcade games galore. The girls next to her went crazy, jumping up and down in their seats, shoe lights going nuts and flickering madly against the floor mats as short legs waved in excitement. A large smile spread across Téa's face and she removed her seatbelt and keys from the ignition and made her way around the truck to let her sisters out, then locked the doors with the press of a button on her key chain before leading them inside.  
  
Téa sent the two girls on their way after they had attacked her with two sets of pleading eyes after seeing the available entertainment, her eyes watching them disappear into the game room. It took her a few moments to realize why the place seemed so off as she had thought when they had arrived and it suddenly dawned on her that there was no one else there. Only several other cars were in the massive parking lot, two probably belonging to employees and the last... a black Porsche. Her eyes sought him out immediately and found him sitting with an arm over the back of a red- cushioned booth, a grin on his face. She went to him immediately, sliding in next to him and giving her a slight punch on the shoulder.  
  
"You bought the place out!" she said, astounded. His grin was smug.  
  
"Only for tonight. It's not like they're getting cheated; I gave them more than enough to make up for what they'd usually make on a night like this," he replied with a grin. His grin widened when he pulled Téa closer with an arm that had snuck around her waist. "Are you still sick?"  
  
"No!" Téa said happily. "Actually, I..." The rest of her answer was cut off as Kaiba's lips landed on her own, soft and sweet. A sigh escaped Téa's lips and she threaded the fingers of her free hand through his hair and received a sigh from him as well.  
  
"Missed you," he said almost with a sleepy tone when they parted, resting his forehead against hers. Téa rubbed noses with him and kept her hand working the back of his head and neck while the other remained planted on his chest.  
  
"You saw both of them, right? My sisters?" Téa asked. Kaiba nodded and grinned again, leaning back.  
  
"Quite a pair of little rabbits you've got, if I do say so myself. Have you seen mine?" Kaiba asked, his fingers tracing little patterns along Téa's side. She shivered and moved closer peering into his eyes and gave him a mock-threatening raise of her eyebrows.  
  
"No, but I feel I must warn you, those hands better not have ill- intentions toward my side. I may have to take drastic measures against you if that proves to be the case," Téa warned him, batting her eyelashes so that his cheek was given butterfly kisses.  
  
"Such as... Ah, you mean this?" Kaiba asked, suddenly tickling Téa mercilessly. Téa screeched and attempted to wiggle out of his arms but he held tight and kept working his fingers into her skin through the grey, hooded sweatshirt she wore with large DCU (Domino City University) lettering, lined in white. A master at multi-tasking, Kaiba continued to render tickle-torture on the young woman next to him while taking in her casual appearance which was, oddly enough, making him want her more.  
  
She looked so comfortable, yet *edible* in tennis shoes, tight, washed-out boot-cut jeans, and that cuddly looking sweater. Her hair was up in a ponytail which touched the top of her shoulders and bangs were framing the softness of her face which was, at the moment, scrunched up in laughter. He could smell something akin to watermelon, though whether it was from lip gloss or perfume he couldn't quite tell. Her eyes had a light shining powder covering them, a thin strip of navy eyeliner and mascara which emphasized the endless blue of her eyes when she opened them to plead him to stop, tears of laughter trailing down her face.  
  
Kaiba stopped abruptly and leaned forward to catch the tears with his lips, kissing them off of her face. Téa's eyes closed at his gesture and she hugged him, wrapping her arms around his middle, body slightly shaking from being tickled so much. Hearing a slight chuckle rumble in his throat, Téa turned and saw a grinning Arashi and Kiri and donned a suspicious look.  
  
"We need tokens to play the games," Kiri piped up, big brown eyes hopeful, the flashing lights on her tennis shoes corresponding with her fluttering fingers. Téa laughed and sat up to retrieve money when Kaiba's hand stretched forward with a twenty, placing it in Arashi's hands. Both girls squeaked 'thank you' before scampering off into the game room to change the money into tokens. A yelp of victory could be heard from one of the virtual games and Téa guessed it was Seto's little brother, whom she had yet to see. Lips trailing along her neck startled Téa out of her ponderings and to the young man at her side, presently lavishing her with delicious attention. She smiled and pressed a smile in his hair, hugging him once again.  
  
"I need to meet this brother of yours," she said softly as he kissed his way over her skin, slightly hindered by the massive sweatshirt. He shook his head and continued kissing her, pulling her up against his side. "Oh come on," Téa chided. "I need to see this little Kaiba if I am to know more about you." He pulled back and pouted.  
  
"Can't this wait until pizza is served? I am involved in a little something at this present time," Kaiba said smoothly, his eyebrows raising enticingly. Téa gave him a glare and then moved to get out of the seat and pulled Seto along with her, her hand tightly holding his.  
  
"Nope, I want to see this kid now. I'm excited, so at least play along and pretend you want me to see him," Téa teased him, brushing his lips with her own before pulling him behind her as she made her way to the game room.  
  
"Very well," Kaiba said with a groan and a mischievous grin. "But I've got dibs on you later. This actually shouldn't be too bad, considering I'm proud of the kid. Sometimes I even like him," he added as they approached a small figure seated in a virtual pod. The small boy inside yelped and bemoaned a loss before the screen before him lifted and he glared at his older brother.  
  
"Big brother!" he accused. "I was winning and you distracted me!" the small boy yelled, though not meaning it, as he stepped out of the machine. Téa's eyes widened as she recognized the large mop of black hair and big blue eyes.  
  
"Mokuba?" she asked. The young boy looked at her finally and recognition flashed in his eyes as well. Seto, for one of the few times in his life, was confused and openly showing it.  
  
"You two've met?" he questioned, wrapping his arms around Téa's waist from behind her and leaning his chin onto her shoulder, eyes wide in askance.  
  
"Yeah," Téa told him, looking between him and his younger brother. "Fleetingly. How have you been Mokuba?" Mokuba, having realized Téa hadn't told his older brother the circumstances under which they had met, breathed a short breath of relief.  
  
"Good. School's not as hard as it used to be and Seto's been letting me try out a bunch of his new products before distribution and sales. This model is actually one of his," he said as he waved his hand absently at the machine behind him. "Your little sisters are funny," he added as an afterthought, shoving his hands into his pockets.  
  
"I know," Téa giggled, her hands closing over Seto's at her waist. "I was wondering something a little earlier and I think you may be able to help me with the answer. Why is it that you look casual and ready to play and your stiff older brother is still dressed in his work clothes?" she asked with a wink. Kaiba yanked her back against his chest, pushing some of the air out of her lungs and Mokuba laughed.  
  
"Dunno. I tried to talk him into different clothes, but the guy doesn't own a single pair of jeans. I suppose he's just boring; can't even buy a t-shirt every once-in-a-while." The younger Kaiba shrugged and then gave an eep as Seto abruptly unlatched from Téa and lunged at his younger brother, chasing after the boy with a smile and narrowed eyes.  
  
"You're going to pay for that remark!" he threatened jokingly as he closed in on the kid before swooping down and picking him up upside-down, then shaking him as his laughter rang out through the game room. Téa clutched at her sides, tears of laughter streaming down her face again as she watched the brothers interact, Seto letting loose for once. Her knees met the plush carpeting of the room as her sisters tackled her from behind, screaming and giggling as they tickled Téa and pushed her onto her back, trying to get in on the action too. Kicking her legs, Téa screamed as she was tickled, trying to get back at the little girls but unable to see past the tears in her eyes as she laughed so hard her stomach hurt. When she did open her eyes, Seto and Mokuba were standing off to the side grinning and laughing, but in a manner that made them seem like clones. That they were close didn't have to be said to be true.  
  
Finally gathering her strength, Téa launched a counter-attack on the two imps still wreaking havoc on her sensitive sides, sending them running and squealing at such a high-pitched level that the two Kaiba's had to stop laughing momentarily and cover their ears. Téa, used to the breaking of the sound barrier, followed the girls quickly and gathered them both up in her arms just before they ducked behind Seto, holding them firmly at her sides. Giving Seto a wink, she backed away and then began to spin in circles, sending the two girls in her arms into hysterics.  
  
Seto watched in amazement and wonder as Téa spun endlessly, enduring the screaming and the vertigo that must have set in some time ago. Her face was alight with joy and head thrown back as she continued to twirl, the two little girls still firmly in her grasp. Then... Téa dropped down to her knees and released Arashi and Kiri and they stood for only a moment before falling down, groaning and giggling and rolling around on the floor as they kept trying to get up. Shifting his gaze to the object of his fervent affections, he watched Téa with her head thrown back and eyes closed, breathing steadily and legs firm on the floor beneath her. She finally breathed out and gently shook her head, then opened her eyes, dark in their gaze as they landed on Seto.  
  
*Wow,* Seto, devil-conscience, and good-conscience said simultaneously. Téa's position, dark blue eyes, and out-of-breath look had Kaiba's thoughts soaring into naughty territory with no hope of returning. *That has -got- to be what she looks like after...* good-conscience started, then blushed at the incredulous looks it got from devil-conscience and Seto. *Che, perv,* devil-conscience grouched, folding his arms over his chest. Seto shook his head clear of the extra thoughts and moved to Téa to help her up, making sure his hands made firm contact with her hips. Her eyes flew to his and he gave her a smirk before dragging her behind him and announcing that pizza was being served. This time even Mokuba joined in the yelling and gave a whoop before running to the other room, the girls trailing after him as they jumped into the booth where the pizza was set.  
  
The girls had already set into their pizza when Téa approached the table and set her hands on her hips, upset, and pried Seto's hands off of her. "Have you two forgotten something?" she asked just as they were about to take their first bites. The slices stopped in midair and went back to the plates before the two girls' heads bowed and their hands folded together. Téa knelt next to them and gave a whispered prayer of thanks and a final 'Amen' before the girls began eating, smiling at Téa and apologizing. Mokuba shrugged and kept eating and Seto gave Téa a strange look when she stood back up, ushering her to another booth, knowing that once the kids finished eating they'd want to play and having two teenagers in their way wouldn't bode well.  
  
"What was that all about?" Seto asked the moment he had settled into the bench across from Téa.  
  
"I would think you knew a prayer when you saw one," Téa chided softly, a smile on her features as she served each of them two pieces of pizza. At Seto's silence she looked up and saw that he required more of an answer. "It's something the girls and I have picked up. My... Our father used to say them all the time and we just tuned him out, ignored him. Now that he and our mother are gone, we realize how much we've taken for granted. It's just a way to show that we're thankful for what we've got," she explained, taking a bite of her food.  
  
"But don't you feel angry, betrayed by the powers-that-be for taking that away from you? For allowing their deaths to happen?" Seto demanded, not touching his food.  
  
"Well," Téa paused, "who wouldn't? But you've got to get over it and realize that you can get through it as long as you've got people who love you and care for you. It's certainly not for everyone and I don't call myself a religious person, but I am certainly thankful that I have my sisters. It's just a way I express that gratitude." The elder Kaiba was silent a moment before he nodded his head.  
  
"I can understand that. I've never looked at it from that perspective before," he confessed, picking up a slice of pizza half-heartedly.  
  
"Hey," Téa said, reaching across the table and taking his hand, "don't feel like I'm condemning you or saying that you're wrong in what you've felt or feel. Everyone deals with situations like this differently."  
  
"But I feel like I am wrong. Not because I don't pray but because I was, I have been angry at everything and nothing for so long. I love Mokuba more than my own life but I haven't been thankful for him. I guess that's what I'm trying to say."  
  
"Then change that. Be thankful for him, for the time you spend with him, because you really never know how much time you or anybody else has left here, in this life," Téa added with a squeeze of her hand.  
  
"You think there's life after death?"  
  
"I haven't decided yet," she answered. "There are a lot of things I haven't decided yet. But I do know that I l... care for you a great deal. You've changed my life, in more ways than one Seto Kaiba."  
  
"I lied," Kaiba said suddenly.  
  
"What?" Téa asked, leaning forward. Seto gave her a soft smile.  
  
"I'm thankful for you and have been since we became closer. I look forward to your smiles, to your laugh and the sound of your voice on the phone. It's more than just kissing you, it's the way you make me feel when you're kissing me, when I'm kissing you." Téa blushed.  
  
"But what does... I mean, I'm just being me. You don't have to be thankful for..." Téa stopped as Seto held up a hand and then leaned forward so that his forehead rested against hers. She watched his beautiful eyes close, thick lashes falling against the tops of defined cheekbones as he took a steady breath. When his eyes reopened, there was a startling emotion residing in the sea of blue.  
  
"I'm falling in love with you fast, Téa Gardner, and I don't think I want to stop."  
  
***  
  
The rest of dinner passed by like a blur. Téa's heart was in her throat, threatening to choke her as the only words she could hear were 'in love with you' over and over and over. She was sure she wasn't breathing, that she wasn't alive, that she had never existed with the whispering of those words. Oddly enough, she figured she must exist and that she was definitely alive because when she was able to refocus, her plate was cleared of any pizza, meaning it had either disappeared or she had eaten it in her hazy state of mind. She looked up to find Seto's eyes riveted on her; whether it was on her or on her messy eating habits while she was suffering from delirium she didn't know, but she also didn't care. Getting up from her seat, she slid in next to her boyfriend and hugged him fiercely, nuzzling his shoulder and shutting her eyes.  
  
"Hey," Seto coaxed, trying to get him to look at her. "Hey, come on, let's go play." Gently pushing on Téa, he managed to move them out of the booth and met Téa's astounded stare as he led them into the game room where his brother and her sisters were already busy at winning tickets from every game in the massive arcade. Kaiba laughed and shook his head at their shrieks and yelps as he led Téa back to a corner and instructed her to take off her shoes. She followed his instructions dumbly, watching as he removed his shoes as well, absently noting that his derierre was pinch-worthy as he bent over to untie the laces. When they were both finished, Kaiba yet again took her hand and, grinning, led her through a tunnel that they had to stoop to enter before tumbling down.  
  
Téa let out a startled yell before her body hit the softness of squishy balls, sinking into a multi-colored pool of soft plastic. Kaiba had led them into a ball-pit. Kaiba! And a large one at that, Téa added to herself. It had its own separate room, though not massive, perhaps twelve feet by twelve feet, and Seto was already busy tossing plushie balls in her direction. She ducked as several hit and bounced off of her head before she ducked into the balls, immersing her body after squirming around a second or two, then proceeded to then launch her own attack against the good- looking guy. They circled each other, hiding neck-deep in the pit and jumping up every now and then to hit each other, collapsing back into the balls and laughing ridiculously.  
  
Coming up with a plan she was sure would work, Téa completely immersed herself in the balls and, crawling along the bottom, made her way towards Kaiba to hopefully catch him unawares. Unfortunately for her, ball pits are notorious for exaggerating every move made in the rainbow-ball soup and Seto knew exactly what she was up to before she had moved several feet. Grinning like the Cheshire cat, Seto sank down as well and laid down flat on the bottom, trying not to move as he waited for his unsuspecting prey. Watching the balls in front and around him move as Téa's body slid through the pit, Seto's body tensed in anticipation, waiting for the next move. This was far more thrilling than Duel Monsters, especially after taking into consideration the fact that the prize was much more aesthetically pleasing as well as being kissable!  
  
He could tell the moment when Téa was over him, having risen in the balls so as to get a jump on him. But when she jumped into empty air, he heard her disappointed sigh and then the frantic turning of her body to find him. Reaching up and taking a firm hold on her waist, Kaiba dragged her down through the spheres to tangle with him beneath the surface, his blue gaze surrounded by a multitude of colors and his body almost shielded completely from view.  
  
*What a shame,* Téa threw in mentally, regretting the fact that she couldn't look him over at this most opportune time. Her thoughts began to melt into puddles of unidentifiable goo though when Kaiba's fingers began to massage circles at Téa's waist, moving the slightly rough fabric of her jeans over her skin and in effect, sending shivers down to her toes. He tried to pull her closer but with balls everywhere, they simply couldn't touch. Pushing up from the base of the pit, Kaiba stood and brought Téa along with him, instantly pulling her to him with a harmless yank.  
  
"Never try to hunt the hunter my sweet," he murmured before descending on her lips. Téa's eyes were shut before she felt his warm breath against her mouth, his soft lips following soon after and seeking immediate entrance. She gladly allowed him after dragging her hands up to sift through his hair, bringing him closer and proving that he wasn't the only one who was starving. Trying to step to the side in such a tight embrace proved to be difficult and their lips broke apart, breaths ragged, as they tumbled back down into the balls before struggling back up, lips seeking again and touching for only another brief second before a second fall. Growing slightly impatient, Kaiba stood and pulled Téa up before hefting her over his shoulder and wading through the balls back to the padded, and less colorful tunnel, thinking of comfortability as well as access. He couldn't have Téa, couldn't touch her, couldn't kiss her, with those silly balls in his way! He could only ignore his sexual frustration for so long and he was still a nineteen year old young man for god's sake!  
  
"This is reallllllly attractive," Téa drawled from her upside-down place at Seto's shoulder. "You woman, me man, ug ug. We go to cave or I hit you with club, ug ug!" she grunted, sending herself into a fit of giggles. She choked on a laugh as Kaiba bounced her good-humoredly on his shoulder, giving her a bit of a jolt and sending her into more hysterics. For his jolt, Téa promptly reached down a pinched the self-proclaimed 'pinchable derriere' that she had been thinking about earlier and was rewarded with a little jump in Kaiba's step, causing her to laugh all the more. Her breath was gone from her in the next instant as Kaiba flipped her on her back onto the thick padding of the tunnel, settling his body over hers.  
  
"You found that funny, did you?" he asked, sliding them further into the tunnel and away from the balls. Téa bit her lip and giggled awkwardly, still trying to get her breath back after being winded from the abrupt slam on the ground. Kaiba's forearms rested on either side of her head and made sure Téa's body was pinned securely beneath him as an elegant eyebrow rose. He gave his own dark little chuckle before bending to place a fleeting kiss at her jawline, trailing down with butterfly touches against her skin over her neck and then back up, over her eyes and nose, breathing slightly rough against her lips.  
  
"What's the matter Seto? Forgot how to kiss a girl properly?" Téa teased before yanking on Seto's collar and crushing his lips to hers, probing them eagerly and instantly. Seto's lips were hard against her own the second she initiated the kiss, lips slanting and demanding, forcing her to open under his pressure. A low moan sounded in the back of Téa's throat as Seto's tongue mingled with hers, tugging and chasing playfully, yet darkly. She was delighting in it.  
  
And damn the man for slipping himself a mint when I wasn't looking, she complained faintly in her mind. Téa was sure that her breath reeked of pizza, but as long as Kaiba wasn't complaining verbally, she certainly wasn't going to bring it up.  
  
Kaiba's arms slipped beneath her back and lifted her slightly, moving her further into the tunnel and more fully onto the padding beneath them as her feet (and his!) were sticking out over the ball-pit from their haste. When they had moved again, his weight settled almost fully over her, held firmly in the circle of her arms and between her legs where he had just come to rest. Téa's hands crawled up into his hair, making sure to tickle and tease his neck before sinking into the thick, rich strands that she could wrap her fingers around. Wrenching his mouth from Téa's, Kaiba trailed fierce kisses down her neck, suckling and soothing the skin with nips and licks while his hands worked all over her body, brushing the sides of her breasts before traveling up and down over her waist and hips. Little murmurs of approval sifted into Seto's ears through the rumblings in his own throat and the vibrations in Téa's chest as she purred at his ministrations, and just as his hands began dragging over her skin under her shirt, he heard the one thing in the world he didn't want to hear.  
  
"Big Brother!"  
  
"Téa, Téa, Téa!" an adjoining voice called. Téa's purrs abruptly turned to laughter and her head hit his shoulder, her body shaking and hands gentling immediately.  
  
"Bloody Hell," Seto cursed, resting his forehead against Téa's neck. "So f... so close!" he lamented. "Can't I bloody well have time alone with my girlfriend and kiss her properly without interruptions?" he continued to vent into her ear, his hands clenching and un-clenching into fists on Téa's shirt. The young woman beneath him only giggled more, tears streaking down the sides of her face and fingers soothing over her boyfriend's hair in an attempt to calm him.  
  
"There'll be other times, baby," she crooned softly, planting a kiss on his cheek. Her eyes flew open in surprise when that tiny kiss triggered a nearly savage response from Kaiba as he roughly ground his body against hers and plundered her lips, hands holding tight to her hips before breaking away and sitting up on his knees, straddling Téa.  
  
"There'd better be," he growled, shifting off of her and pulling her to a sitting position as well before sinking into her outstretched arms. "I just want you to myself for a while. Honestly, is that too much to ask for?" His dark blue eyes rose to search Téa's gaze for answers but, finding none, he sank again into her embrace.  
  
"Seto! There you are!" Mokuba called out as he crawled through the swinging door into the tunnel. Arashi and Kiri were right on his heels.  
  
"Yay! We found you Téa!" Jumping unceremoniously onto Téa, they knocked the elder Kaiba to the bottom of the pile, who found Téa laying all over him, chest to chest, as her sisters squealed and hugged her. A myriad of emotions fluttered over her face before she rolled over and let the little girls crawl over her, making sure she had one of Seto's hands interlaced with one of her own, giggling along with their antics and smiling at the mere sight of them happy. Taking delight in the atmosphere, though it had interrupted something rather important in Seto's view, he too laughed and pulled Mokuba close, giving the younger Kaiba a hug and ruffling his hair.  
  
It was many hours before the laughter of children, all five of them, died out into the night, only to be replaced by dreams of hope and joy for the first time in a long, long while.  
  
***  
  
End chapter 7. So, you like? You know, I would appreciate it so very much if you all would leave a review! I'm actually over 100 now (which is ridiculously exciting for me) and I thank all of you for contributing to that number. I don't base my writing on the number of reviews I get, but it *IS* nice to know that people enjoy what I write.  
  
If you'd like me to email you when I update, just drop me an email or simply leave your address in a review so that I know. I don't mind letting everyone know since I myself can't say when the updates will come.  
  
***GROUP GROUP GROUP GROUP GROUP GROUP GROUP GROUP GROUP GROUP*** I now have a Yahoo! group that all of you can join to discuss my fiction, write and post your own, or simply gab with other people. If you're interested, check out my profile since fanfiction.net doesn't allow direct linking. It will also be a place where you can read my stuff when fanfiction.net is down.  
  
REPLYING TO THE REVIEWS:  
  
Azurite: I am not EVIL! *hides tail and pitchfork* Why would you say such a thing? Naw, it's okay. Thanks for the comment. Getting it from you is a real honor since I've come to enjoy your work in such a short period of time. You write so much and update a hell of a lot more often than I do...  
  
Kikoken: I'm glad this story made your day! Hope I can continue to get that kind of reaction out of you!  
  
Evelyn15: I have a plot? *looks around confused* Hmm, I hadn't noticed... Thanks though - sometimes I feel like I'm just babbling when I write. (P.S. I like writing Téa as a strong, ablebodied businesswoman!)  
  
hieiandbotan4ever: Thanks for the comment. Sorry I couldn't update sooner!  
  
coolwriter5: Why would there be a sequel? I haven't even finished this one yet.  
  
Morning Mist: Yes, I know, how time flies! *cries on Morning Mist's shoulder* Remember when it was such a little tyke? How my little baby's grown. *sniffle*  
  
deity of death1: Well, I certainly wasn't able to update in a week as you can see, but I can promise you that I'm not suffering from writer's block. More like writer's overflow. Hope you liked this chapter!  
  
Lita Maxwell: Unfortunately I didn't have Seto chase his devil with a chainsaw this time, but there's always the next chapter. And hey, if you need any help with your fic, I'll be happy to help. Just point it out to me or send it in an email and I'll be glad to give you some pointers.  
  
Ana: Listen to your yami and calm down. It'll be okay. *^_^* I'm glad you enjoy the scriptures!  
  
Krystal_tears: I would never just leave it like that. I'm hoping this chapter helped to allay some of your fears!  
  
Mystical Miyuki: Thanks a bunch, and I'll *try* to update sooner. But no promises.  
  
BabyIce: I'm one of your top authors? Moi? Wowza, thanks for the compliment!  
  
stardreamer090: You're going through all of that trouble on your vacation just to read *my* fic? I'm utterly flattered. Thanks so much for giving me your first review. Those mean especially a lot to me!  
  
Guardian Kysra: *is speechless* Girl, you go ahead and feel free to write that long of a review anytime. It was the most amazing thing I've ever read before and covered all of the bases. We've already discussed this, but when I'm feeling down, I read that review again and then everything suddenly seems right in the world again. Thanks for keeping up with me since the very beginning! *huggles Kysra*  
  
Aaron: You're such a sweety! Thanks for the continuing support!  
  
TeaFan123: It's quite alright that you forgot to review. I'm just glad you like this fic!  
  
kaz: Thank you thank you thank you! Those words helped to make my day. I am hoping this chapter didn't disappoint you.  
  
Lyderia: Gratzi for the feedback. Surprises? Cool, I didn't know I was surprising anybody. I'm glad you like the couple and I hope you'll keep reading!  
  
Tara-hime: I turned up the Seto-torture a notch or two. How did I do, huh? And how 'bout the warm fuzzies in this chapter? Wook at da widdle famiwy! Awwww! I know what you mean about the bedside manners. *fans herself*  
  
Card-Master: Yes, I finally updated. Sorry it took so long for this one though... *cringe*  
  
Serena4: *Feverish*, huh? I'm going to take that as a compliment. It sounds like you liked the little scenes where he took care of her. I only hope that I continue to please.  
  
AmericanBadAss: I'm not so sure it was worth the wait since it's been an obscene amount of time since the last update, but I'm glad you're still hanging on and reading. You've been there since the beginning!  
  
Thallein: Well there went my "two and a half weeks past three months" goal. It's certainly bit a bit longer. Sorry 'bout that. Get your butt in gear and get to writing! I miss my beta-reader job! *cries*  
  
DarkSetoKaiba: What's a sennen book? I inspired you? Hm, cool!  
  
DarkMagicianGurl89: I'm not too keen on cliffhangers either, which is why I generally don't stop a chapter with them. I'm glad you like this fic!  
  
Once again, thank you to all of my marvelous reviewers. This wouldn't be as fun without all of your inputs!  
  
Atlantis *^_^*  
  
Please review, I love reading your comments on my work guys! Or email, that's ALWAYS wonderful!  
  
If you ever want to talk fics or my work on a more direct level, you can IM me. Screen name: godscartungrrl 


	8. Chapter 8A

Riddles of the Heart written by Atlantis © 2002  
  
For this chapter alone I am dispensing with the formalities. There won't be any thanks or apologies or notes and whatnot. This chapter has a point and I intend to make it very clear. Everyone knows I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh!  
  
WARNING!! THIS CHAPTER IS RATED A STRONG R!! IF YOU CANNOT HANDLE INTENSE SUBJECTS THAT DEAL WITH PSYCHOLOGICAL TRAUMA, DEATH, OR LANGUAGE, THEN DO NOT READ!! YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED.  
  
*****************************************************************  
  
PART 8  
  
Watching the Grammy's probably should have boosted her spirits, even in the smallest possible amount, but then again, her red-rimmed eyes were an indication that no, it hadn't. Her hair was still wet from the shower, her sisters were staying at a friend's house, she was sitting on her parents' bed, and had a massive headache from crying too much. Damn it damn it damn it! No!! Damn him!  
  
Gasping in a breath that was tremulous at best, Tea buried her face in the large pillow sitting in her lap, rubbing the tears away from her eyes angrily. The lights from the television flickered brightly as the program switched to yet another commercial and reaching for the remote at her side, Tea attempted to mute the annoying advertisements. When that didn't work, throwing the remote directly at the T.V. was found to be a sufficient substitute. Her fingers clawed at the coverlet and bundles of blankets beneath and around her and her fists found respite in the pillows she had deemed as punching bags.  
  
She flopped back abruptly and stared up at the ceiling and the whirring fan as small salted droplets trickled from the corners of her glazed blue eyes. What she really needed was some hardcore, something that screamed and was violent and cursed to the high heaven's. Too bad she didn't have any. In its place was the slow and continuous breaking of her heart, the tearing of her soul; something that had been worsening over the last few months. Ever since the last time she had spoken with *him*.  
  
Yes, it had been months. Two months and seventeen days, to be exact. Thirteen hours, fifty-eight minutes, and twenty-two, no twenty-three... now twenty-five seconds. She blinked. What kind of a freak was she, keeping track like this? Better yet, why was she still so despondent over what had happened? It was in the past, right? There was life to live, school to worry about, and a company that she had rid of her responsibility. So why couldn't she move on?  
  
It was because he had been her foundation, her sole inspiration for continuing in a life that had become so dismal, that had faded to shades of indistinguishable grey. Each decision, every person, every place, had been the same: emotionless, lifeless, representing death, and mocking until he had miraculously appeared. And now he was gone, just like her parents. Stripped away from her not in life, but in spirit because words were apparently stronger and more hurtful than sticks and stones. Tea sat up and shut her eyes as if she could see his beautiful face in the ceiling, refusing to cry again. Damn it, it was too late. A fresh drizzle of tears rained from her eyes all over her face, trailing over her cheeks and around her nose, making her sniffle as she hiccupped, over her chin and down her neck. Not for the first time that night, she whirled around and sent her fists flying into the wall, not caring that the splits in her knuckles from earlier had reopened and were allowing blood to run down her wrists and arms once more.  
  
Unable to sit anymore, Tea moved to her feet and immediately began pacing, throwing her bloodied hands up to pull on fistfuls of hair. A mangled scream was ripped from her throat as she dropped to her knees, her knees and hands landing on the glass from the broken mirror that she had shattered earlier with a marble bookend. She didn't care. How could she? She couldn't even feel.  
  
"It's not... not fucking fair..." she gasped and cried, tears falling once again to leave small clean trails in the blood on her hands below her. She had gone through the seven circles of hell and still it was not enough. Not enough that her mother had despised her. Not enough that they were never home. Not enough that she had to be the acting mother to her sisters *and* her friends. Not enough that her parents had died. Not enough that the organ that pumped in her chest had been obliterated and haphazardly put back together, expected to work as it had before. And what was worse, it wasn't all his fault. In fact, if there was going to be any blame, it was damn well going to be hers!  
  
An eerie laugh reverberated through the room and clambering to her feet shakily, Tea made her way to her parents' closet: the one thing she hadn't gone through since they'd passed away. Her hands throbbed and her legs threatened to fold beneath her but she pushed on, a dark determination coursing through her blood, whispering in her ear and calling with a deceptive sweetness. She had to stretch her right arm up farther than she'd remembered but it eventually found purchase on an ancient shoe box that was hidden on the top shelf in the back corner of the closet. Hobbling back over to the bed she moved to the center and crossed her legs, bloody hands reaching out to lift the top off of the box and leaving fingerprints all over it and the blankets.  
  
"Peace. My peace," she told herself. She had to shake her head, it was getting very hard to focus on anything. That wouldn't do. No, that wouldn't do at all. A black fog passed over her vision but she shook her head once more as she loaded the heavy revolver in her hand. Pushing the cartridge into the bottom and hearing it click, she cocked the release and turned the weapon on her chest. As midnight descended on her consciousness, the gun shot. And silence.  
  
***  
  
End Part 7. Review if you want.  
  
I have come to the conclusion that I no longer have time to send out emails anymore regarding new chapter installments, which is unfortunate. If you would like to be informed of updates, then join my Yahoo! group. You will find the address in my profile.  
  
Atlantis 


	9. Chapter 8B

Riddles of the Heart written by Atlantis © 2002  
  
Well, here it is! After a ridiculous amount of waiting, at least for those of you who haven't forgotten this fic, it's finally here, edited and ready for you to read. So much good news for me. This monster took me a long, long time to write because so much emotion had to be put into it and I wanted a very real, very accurate look into the characters. There's also the fact that I graduated from high school and have been frantically searching for a job for the last three weeks as well. But I got a job! Now I will have money -and- write! Can it get any better?  
  
Any and all moments and/or scenes involving Mokuba and/or a devil-conscience in this chapter are dedicated to my girl, Kysra, who never fails to write massive reviews which I love to read over and over and over. Girl, you're always bemoaning the fact that you're so long-winded but I don't mind a bit! Go on and keep being that way, cuz I'm certainly not complaining!  
  
There shall be no apologies because the sheer length of this chapter and the content is enough of an apology in my eyes.  
  
GROUP GROUP GROUP GROUP GROUP GROUP GROUP GROUP GROUP

I now have a Yahoo! group that all of you can join to discuss my fiction, write and post your own, or simply gab with other people. If you're interested, check out my profile since fanfiction.net doesn't allow direct linking. It will also be a place where you can read my stuff when fanfiction.net is down.  
  
Thank you to everyone who reviewed the last chapter (there certainly weren't many of you!): Amanda, ma-au, HeavensAngel4115, kitty, Goddess Hikari, Penny Lane00, jen, Morning Mist, tea/anzufan, Aluyah, Chaos Babe, Taichi Prime, shadowed fry, Tara-hime, Lunar Dragon 209, Kerrie-chan, Kysra, Azurite, Jellybob 15, and Shy-Lil-Dreamer.  
  
Disclaimer: After writing a chapter this freakin' long, I think I'll just claim Yu-Gi-Oh! as mine and see what happens. Anyone who wishes to dispute it can take it up with my poor fingers which have typed so much they are bruised.  
  
Rating: R  
  
Notes about rating: This chapter, in general, is very emotional and for content (a flaming lime) and language later on, this is a warning to all ye who don't like that stuff. If you can't handle an R rating, don't read this. I don't want to end up getting reported by someone who ignored these very specific notes.

* * *

  
My life is no longer than the width of my hand. An entire lifetime is just a moment to you; human existance is but a breath. We are merely moving shadows, and all our busy rushing ends in nothing. We heap up wealth for someone else to spend. And so, Lord, where do I put my hope? My only hope is in you.  
  
Psalm 39:5-7

* * *

PART 8B  
  
There was nothing, not a sound. Nothing but a dull throbbing that seemed to pulse like a heartbeat, growing steadily into a pounding drum, a waterfall crashing mercilessly onto rocks. Slowly, ever-so-slowly, a slit opened and the barest hints of grey and yellow light could be detected. With time creeping on, other colors began to filter through, blurred and indistinguishable. Then shapes could be seen. Finally, objects were real and present and pain lanced through her body like a spear, tearing at every nerve until she screamed.  
  
Hardly able to turn her head, Téa crawled to the edge of the bed and promptly threw up, body convulsing wretchedly and head swimming with the action. Once her stomach contents had been emptied, she proceeded to throw up bile, stripping her teeth of the enamel and leaving a sour and bitter taste all over her mouth. Though it sent her into a fit of vertigo, she turned her head and wiped her face on the blankets, trying to at least get rid of the physical remnants of her sickness. She drifted into unconsciousness.  
  
When Téa next woke, pains in her side, hands, and knees told her that she needed to do something unless she wanted to die of blood loss. Pushing herself up cautiously to rest on her forearms, she took a moment as her equilibrium re-balanced itself and her world stopped spinning before she sat up all the way. A very wry smile quirked the sides of her lips as she realized the Grammy's were still on. It seemed like a lifetime had passed. As she turned her head, Téa let out a startled gasp, stopped breathing and began to cry. Just to the left of her was a large revolver and when she raised her eyes, a bullet-hole blackened the wall just behind her. Her gaze traveled down to her side where there was a tear in her clothes and blood was soaking her shirt. She wiped at the tears clouding her vision angrily because they kept getting in her way. Damn it, all she wanted to do was see.  
  
"My God," she sobbed brokenly. "I was that... that close to... to..." A fresh batch of tears came upon Téa and her already sore body curled up on itself, her breathing ragged and choppy.  
  
Later, though she didn't know how much later, Téa finally got up and padded to the bathroom, careful to avoid all of the glass littering the floor. Stripping down, she stood in front of the full-length mirror and cried some more, looking over her bloody and naked body with a feeling of sorrowful detachment. This wasn't her. This was a shell that had been shattered and left in the gutter to die. This was a girl who didn't know what to do with what she had been dealt.  
  
She stepped into the large shower and turned the water on the lowest setting possible, cringing and biting down on her lip when the water ran over her body. With shaking hands she began to gently wash the crusted blood off of her body with the glass shards and then moved to wash and disinfect her open wounds. A mangled cry was ripped from her throat as she applied hydrogen peroxide to the wound at her side, where the bullet had presumably missed killing her by mere centimeters. Tears mixed with the water as she washed, wincing whenever she rubbed the washcloth over a bruise. When she was eventually able to stand a warmer water setting, she slid down the shower wall and sat in the corner and wrapped her arms around her bent legs as her shoulders shook with continued crying.  
  
Doctors always said that it was healthy to cry though, right? It released pent-up emotions and hostility and generally relieved a person of their troubles or at least eased them a bit. That and the steady beating of the shower were both aiding in calming her, restoring her breathing to normal and slightly lessening her pain as the water numbed her. Easing her head back, Téa's mind traveled to the events that had lead her to this situation and stretched out, sprawled all over the floor of the shower. They simply weren't easy to think about and after fighting tears back, she was able to revisit what she had gone through months earlier.

* * *

As she and her sisters stepped out of the limo wearing all black, Téa gave an emotionless survey of the funeral home. White roses lined the path to the front door of the building and a small yellow daisy was on each of the headstones that could be seen from the corner of her eye. Glancing behind her, she watched as the funeral procession stopped and each individual car looked for a parking space. The little ones at her sides clutched her hands like lifelines, their small eyes wide and sad; they knew why they were there.  
  
A man dressed down in a black clerical outfit approached them from the doorway of the building and gave a sincere bow of his head and motioned for them to follow, and Téa did, tugging gently on her sisters to follow. Something inside of her broke as she heard Arashi and Kiri's sniffles and tears dropped, unbidden, down her face. She didn't bother wiping them away because they belonged there: after all, where were tears more appropriate than at your own parents funeral?  
  
The priest led the girls around the back of the building and down a well-kept path which was lined with wild roses, nicely trimmed and pruned, but almost mocking. Mocking because they were the epitome of life and yet they were used to beautify the death that surrounded them. A new batch of tears rained down from Tea's eyes and she was glad that her face was covered with a veil. Her sisters didn't deserve to see their strength and stronghold so weak and vulnerable. They stopped as they reached a large canopy where they were directed by the priest to be seated in the front row, directly before two caskets that sat on either side of the podium. A cynical part of Téa commented that the dead were now on parade, to be shown to everyone who cared to look.  
  
Others filed into seats behind them, but Téa and the girls did not look to them, though they knew each and every one of them. Co-workers and employees, trusted friends and advisors, business rivals and allies alike; all were gathered to watch the final partings of Kevin and Tamoya Hurikama Gardner. Téa's friends were all seated in the reserved two rows behind her, the entire Wheeler family present (Mr. Wheeler sober for once), Yami, Yugi and his grandfather, Tristan, Duke, Bakura, Mai, and the Ishtars, Marik and Ishizu. In her row, to the right of her sisters, Harry and his family sat silently and Téa looked to the two empty seats at her left, saddened that they had not yet been filled. Someone, probably Joey, coughed behind her and she looked up through tear-clouded eyes at the path to see Seto and Mokuba approaching, each with two bouquets of roses in their hands.  
  
Ignoring all of those present, they walked up to the caskets and each of the Kaiba's placed one of their bouquets on them while the two remaining bouquets remained in their grasps. Both Seto and Mokuba gave formal Japanese bows to the encased dead before turning and taking their places next to Téa. The roses sat in their laps and Seto reached out a hand to take Téa's, making sure to squeeze it reassuringly as the priest stood at the podium.  
  
Words came out of his mouth, solemn words that made everyone gathered weep and dab at their eyes with small white handkerchiefs, but Téa didn't hear any of them. All that she could do was see, see the ornate, glorified boxes that held the mangled and unrecognizable bodies of her parents. Arashi and Kiri would look to her every once in a while, obviously not comprehending what the "man up there" was saying, but Téa would gently shush and console them, telling them that it was all right, they didn't really need to know. Her gloved fingers laced through Seto's and yet she never looked at him, merely drawing strength from him; strength to keep from either rushing to the caskets and crying over them or escaping from the too-clean, too-happy, too-unrealistic graveyard.  
  
After some odd moments of silence, Téa realized she had to say a few words out of respect and rose hesitantly, not willing to let go of Seto's hand and not able to take him up with her. Standing in front of the mahogany platform, Téa found that she could not speak, instead only able to stare right and left at the death that surrounded her. She cried. She couldn't help it. It was deep and heartfelt and somewhat loud. Through it all, her eyes remained open and she watched as people shook their heads or nodded in pity, silently judging her for the words that she did not say. But it wasn't pity she wanted! She wanted her parents back. Her eyes shifted down and she noticed that her hands were shaking horribly but she made no move to correct the problem.  
  
_Let me suffer. I deserve it_, she voiced silently as tears tumbled down her cheeks again. A mumble went through the crowd and then Seto was at her side, cradling her into his chest, his hand steady at the back of her neck and around her waist. As she sobbed, she felt him press a kiss to her temple and then straighten to look at those gathered.  
  
"I think that you can all see that Téa is not in the state to speak right now, so I would like to do so on her behalf. I know that I did not know Kevin or Tamoya as well as Téa did, that much is obvious, but I had a very deep respect for them as members of the business-world as well as people. My experience allowed me to cultivate a friendship with Mr. Hurikama and anyone that knows me knows that that is a difficult task. However, it was through this friendship and partnership that I realized he loved his family more than his own life and that he would give his life a hundred times over just to make sure they were happy. He often spoke of his three daughters, though not by name, and I gained a respect for them as well because I knew that any children of Kevin's were sure to be exemplary. It was not until a later time that I discovered Téa was one of his daughters.  
  
"I cannot claim to know the words that Téa wished to say to you today, but I expect that all of you will respect that she did not speak and remember her and her sisters in your prayers. Thank you for coming today," Seto finished, slowly coaxing Téa to follow him back to her seat where she continued to cling to him. Minutes after, the caskets were transported to where they were to be buried and everyone followed, many whispering a few last words of their own and tossing in white roses before the earth swallowed them up.  
  
After everyone had left and the caskets had been covered, their engraved granite gravestones put into place, Téa remained riveted at the foot of the graves, staring and crying. Hours before she had said goodbye to her little sisters, Harry having offered to take care of the girls for the night and now she stood alone, not noticing that awful rain clouds were hanging in the heavens and threatening their wrath upon the world. Sinking to her knees, she placed a hand on each of the new graves, feeling the newly turned soil under her now-bare hands, clawing at the ground as though it were a prison. Then she bit her lip, watching as teardrops fell from her eyes into the dirt where small puffs rose where they had fallen. And it was then that it sank in.  
  
They weren't coming back. They really weren't coming back. Her parents were dead and she was alone except for her sisters, whom she was now expected to take care of. There was also the company she had suddenly and unexpectedly inherited. The first day had been easy enough, charging in with banners flaring as she claimed ownership, but actually running the company had turned out to be a completely different, and a more difficult matter. She also couldn't forget about school. She was still a full-time student enrolled in her last year of high school and had grades to keep up and finals to prepare for. Understanding the workload that Kaiba dealt with had finally dawned on her and she wasn't sure that she could handle the pressure.  
  
Seto also deserved her attention. That was what she had decided. She needed him in her life and was willing to sacrifice time from some other priority she had in order to show him that she cared and that she wanted him to stick around. He was her foundation, the only thing that truly kept her going. At times, she felt like a shadow, passing through life and not affecting anything around her but witnessing all of the injustices and wanting to fix them or help and not being able to. Téa was afraid of becoming a phantom: the walking dead.  
  
Rain began to abruptly pelt her from above and she stood once more and shook her hair out of her face, pulling the black hat and veil off that covered her head. Rather than heading for the car which she knew was waiting for her, she walked around instead, half strolling, half stumbling across the grounds of the graveyard. It was after a minute of walking that she noticed a shadow under a tree just off to the left of the path and she approached it, not sure who it was and not truly caring. She was surprised to find that it was Seto Kaiba. He stood inbetween two tombs, a bouquet of red roses placed on the top of each one. Now Téa understood.  
  
Though the rain had thoroughly soaked her through-and-through, she walked up behind him and wrapped her arms around him, laying her cheek against his back. He tensed at first, then, realizing who it was, relaxed once more and placed his arms over hers. He was wet as well. A few more minutes passed, the rain coming down harder now, the sky a dismal grey, and Seto turned in Téa's arms and hugged her tight to him. Together, they went back to the path and eventually made their way to a limo that was waiting. Even drenched to the bone, they still did not hurry and Seto held the door open for Téa like a perfect gentleman before climbing in after her himself, shutting the door firmly and barking directions to the driver. When he and Téa had settled into the backseat side-by-side, Téa turned to speak.  
  
"You sent my ride away?" she asked. He nodded. She also nodded. She opened her mouth to say something else but didn't and they lapsed into several moments of silence as the steady beat of the rain pounded against the windows. "Were those your parents, Seto?" she asked.  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"Oh."  
  
"I just figured that while you were paying your respects, Mokuba and I would as well. Today is the fourteen-year anniversary of their death," Kaiba replied softly. He leaned forward to switch the heater on full-blast then settled back again.  
  
"You didn't have to," Téa said. At Kaiba's glance she added, "Wait for me, I mean." A blush stained her already pink cheeks, rosy from the cold. She leaned into his side. "Thank you." Téa placed a kiss on his cheek and curled up next to his side, shivering but content.  
  
When the limo stopped, Kaiba and Téa exited the vehicle as quickly as they could. It did not register that Téa was in Seto's home for the first time until the front door shut behind her and she looked up into the immense entryway to see a large crystal chandelier hanging above her, glittering with faint light. Seto took her hand gently and led her through the greeting room and den, past the ridiculously large kitchen, up two flights of stairs where they presumably entered what looked to be his bedroom. He rummaged through a closet for a moment before emerging with a large downy towel and an oversized pair of pajamas.  
  
"Go and take a shower before you catch your death. I'm gonna go and make some coffee and take a shower myself," he commanded gently, kissing her forehead before leaving the room. Téa watched him leave, almost wishing that he hadn't, and then went into the bathroom.  
  
Emerging a little more than half an hour later, her hair damp and clothed in Seto's large navy blue pajama pant and shirt set, she padded through the room and out into the hall, looking for the owner of her temporary clothes. Looking down from the top of the stairs, she spied a set of double doors slightly ajar that opened up into a grand ballroom and another set of doors that looked as if they led to an indoor olympic-sized pool. After nearly tripping on the long pant legs twice, Téa settled herself on the steps and rolled the bottoms up a few inches before proceeding down once more. She found him in the den, a fire roaring in the massive fireplace, with a cup of coffee steaming beside him. But that wasn't why she had stopped in the doorway.  
  
Seto Kaiba lay reclined in an expensive black leather recliner wearing only pajama bottoms. His broad chest was exposed to the entire world and if he would only lean forward, his back would be as well. He was breathing easily as his chest rose and fell at rhythmic intervals and she let her eyes drift over his toned but not overly muscular body. Seto had large arms and broad shoulders and a collar bone that inspired the thought of daring kisses. His pants hung low about his waist and Téa's thoughts, for once, soared into desperately naughty territory.  
  
_What I wouldn't give to see what's underneath those pants_, her devil-conscience snickered, clad in red leather negligé. Téa batted those thoughts away, not without difficulty, and moved further into the room, immediately surrounded by the warmth that the fire had provided. Unable to resist temptation, Téa leaned forward with her arms on either side of the recliner and kissed Seto's neck before pulling back and sinking into the armchair opposite of him. He stirred and woke slowly, blinking childishly before focusing on the young woman before him who was wearing his clothes. And damn but she did look good in them, particularly with the shirt falling off of her shoulders and exposing all of that skin that he had yet to taste.  
  
"I was gonna put on a shirt," he said sleepily, "but I didn't hear you come down."  
  
"Don't bother," Téa told him with a yawn. "I don't mind and you look comfortable, besides." Her eyes drifted over him once more, lingering on his lower stomach before traveling back up over his chest and neck where she stared at his lips and then moved up to his eyes to find that he was regarding just as intensely. Caught in the act, Téa had the grace to blush and pull a nearby pillow into her lap to play with the tassels on the corners. She refused to make eye contact with him again over such an embarrassing display of interest and was surprised when he spoke.  
  
"Come here." It was soft-spoken, but it was most definitely a command. Gulping, Téa got up from her place and walked over to him, standing at the edge of his chair. He promptly reached up and hauled her into his lap so that she straddled him. So surprised by Seto's sudden movement, Téa couldn't help but immediately settle in and place her arms on either side of his head to steady herself. When she once again caught Seto's gaze, her insides coiled into a tight knot that demanded fierce release. His deep blue eyes were nearly black and centered solely on her. Her eyes slipped closed and a breathy sigh passed through her lips as his hands moved up and down her sides, teasing her and fulfilling her at the same time.  
  
He moved forward only slightly, barely pulling at her lips with his own before making a trail down her neck and over her shoulders where his mouth and tongue marked her for his own. Téa's hands left the back of the recliner and held Seto to her, making sure that he didn't stop, though he had no intention of doing so. Slowly and carefully, he made his way to the other shoulder and payed it the same lavish attention, trailing down her arm as the loose sleeve dropped even further down. Then his mouth took a different route, trailing down the middle of her chest where he nuzzled the buttons holding the shirt together. His hands were already brushing scorchingly over the sides of her bare breasts and Téa was so close to throwing caution to the wind and ridding herself of the now-annoying shirt but halted on a long, indrawn breath when his thumbs traveled over her nipples and rubbed back and forth for a few moments. Then her mouth opened in a soundless scream as his mouth kissed the cloth-covered peak and his hands pulled her closer to him.  
  
It was now obvious to Téa how much Seto wanted her because she was resting her weight on the evidence, occasionally inadvertently grinding over him and eliciting a groan from his seductive mouth. His mouth left her breast and his hands gripped at her hips, pulling her farther down onto him.  
  
"Do you see what you do to me? All it takes is one touch..." Seto breathed harshly in her ear, kissing it lightly before possessing her lips with fierce intensity. He took his time, nudging her lips open and darting away from her questing kisses, making the kiss on his terms. Her mouth opened on a shallow breath as he pulled her so close that her chest was crushed up against his and he slid his tongue in teasingly, barely touching her own before returning to the gentle sucking of her lower lip. He repeated the process and received another breathy moan from her as his hands slid up inside of the shirt she wore, his fingers trailing over her skin with deliberate preciseness. When he abandoned the teasing tactic, Seto allowed his tongue to slip into Téa's welcoming mouth, tasting the fresh sweetness of her kiss. Her hands dove behind his neck and latched onto his hair, sinking deep into the thick strands as she rocked into him, angling her head to feel his kiss better.  
  
With one of his hands firmly planted inbetween her shoulder blades, the other drifted down to curve over the seat of her pants, taunting her desires as he let his fingers wander in and around the waistband but never more. He was surprised to say the least when Téa's hands abruptly left his hair to claw all over his chest, raking her fingernails over sculpted muscles. His lips left hers and he leaned back into the chair, breathing heavily as her hands drifted lower to the waist of his pants, her fingers dancing over the skin and making him twitch under her touch. She scooted back slightly and he opened his mouth to ask her where she thought she was going but it died as a croak in his throat as her fingers massaged his upper thighs, sinking into the skin through his lounge pants.  
  
Knowing that he would not have the strength to do so later, he sat up and pulled Téa back into him, making certain that her legs were locked around his waist, and stood up, hastily making his way toward and up the stairs. Téa bounced slightly against him with every hurried step he took and she giggled into his neck as her hands tickled his back which had been previously unexposed to her. The door to his room was open and as soon as he had passed through the doorway, he pushed it closed with his foot before slowing down and stopping at the edge of his massive four-poster bed, complete with thick drapes that could enclose any who occupied the bed. Seto's lips found Téa's once again and he kissed her slowly, softly, fully. Easing himself onto the bed without releasing his hold on her, he was able to crawl up to the head before lowering both he and Téa into the thick and lush comforter of his bed.  
  
His lips couldn't get enough of her, couldn't touch enough skin, couldn't taste her as much as he wanted. Téa sighed beneath him and wrapped her arms tightly around him, one leg rising at an angle to keep him close to her body. Her fingers danced over the skin of his back, tracing the contours of muscles and gently scratching them as they coiled under her scathing touch. He sank into her comforting warmth, into the circle of her arms that were filled with so much love; love that he had not had the chance to experience as a child. Going to the funeral and seeing those twin caskets, then Téa's broken spirit, and finally Mokuba's face as they had placed bouquets upon the graves of their own parents had taken Seto back to his own fears and insecurities: feelings that hadn't surfaced since before the death of Gozaburo. But having Téa so close, touching her and feeling her solid presence beneath him reassured him and blanketed him in a nearly euphoric cloud. He felt invincible.  
  
"Se... Seto..." His name was a gasp on Téa's lips and Kaiba realized that his hands were completely underneath the pajama top she wore, caressing forbidden skin. But he didn't care. Hearing Téa call to him so desperately drove him to the edge of whatever precipice he stood on and an urge to go further struck him long and hard at the same moment Téa locked her arms around his lower back and hugged him tight to her, burying her face into the side of his neck as they ground against each other. Without hesitation, his hands left the delicious places on her torso and moved to roughly grip her hips, pulling her up into a tortuous rotation of his own hips so that she hissed at him from behind clenched teeth. And then he was sitting up, looking down at her in her ravaged disarray, looking flushed and wanton with her mouth slightly open and arms thrown back above her head, his body firmly settled between her legs.  
  
"I want you. Now." Seto was surprised that he had actually said the words; then again, he wasn't. It was exactly what was going through his head, but what had actually given him to courage to say it out loud he had no idea. Téa blinked owlishly, as if coming out of a trance.  
  
"I'm not on the pill," she said softly, as if it was the most natural thing in the world to say. "And I'm not sure I'd want to if... I mean, if I were to do it, I would want it without a condom." Téa blushed and looked away from Seto. He leaned forward slightly and turned her face with a gentle hand so that she would look at him once more.  
  
"Say it," he commanded quietly. "I want to hear you say it." Téa blinked again.  
  
"Say what?" she asked, bewildered. "What? Sex? Is that what you want me to say we want?" A look of hurt crossed her features but Seto smoothed them away with a reassuring brush of his thumb over her cheek, eyes still fiery, but controlled.  
  
"No. That you want me too." His look was nearly pleading, as if he would lose the shred of faith he had been clinging to ever since the deaths of his parents, that there were such things as love, fear, lust, and emotions in the world. That hope was not an illusion, not a figment of the imagination meant to trick and deceive. Understanding lit within Téa's gaze and she sat up quickly, perhaps a little too quickly because she grabbed her head at the sudden feeling of vertigo, but it passed and she took Kaiba's head in her hands and placed a soft kiss on each of his temples and then his lips. She gave a quiet little laugh against his lips.  
  
"You have no idea how long I've wanted you, you silly boy," she joked, looking at him with joyful eyes. "And how could you doubt it even now? The sighs you drag out of my throat and the way my body responds to the calluses on your fingertips as they move over me... Honestly Seto, what more proof would you like?" Téa let her fingers trail over Seto's face, jaw, and lips as she spoke, following the movements of her hands as she spoke to him, as though she were speaking to a small child.  
  
"I'm not used to not having tangible, physical proof," he admitted quietly. Again Téa blinked, then giggled, a hand rising to cover her mouth.  
  
"What kind of proof would you need, exactly? I don't really go for pornographic pictures or videos, myself," she managed to get out through her fit of giggles. Seto realized the error in his words and smiled as well, his gaze losing some of its previous heat and gaining a bit of affection as he watched Téa laugh, still clothed and comfortable in his pajamas. It was a jealous sense of pride that surged through him to know that the girl he considered his was wearing something of his. It was also damnably sexy.  
  
"That's crude, Téa," he told her quietly, chuckling as he leaned forward and rubbed his nose against hers, which was difficult in and of itself because she shook with laughter so much. Her laughter quieted down a bit when Seto's lips pressed firmly against hers, tongue licking at her bottom lip to gain entrance. She allowed him to continue on with the casual opening of her mouth and the wrapping of her arms around his neck again. They kissed for some time, occasionally rough but mostly the soft pulling of lips and entangling of tongues and when they pulled apart, both breathing hard, Téa laid back down and held her arms out for Seto.  
  
"We need to get some sleep," she told him, making sure he settled himself squarely behind her back. His arm draped over her stomach and played with the hem of her shirt as one of her hands slid under her pillow and the other settled on top of Seto's hand.  
  
"What about..." he trailed off, dropping kisses along her neck and bare shoulder to get his point across. Téa turned her head to look at him.  
  
"I see it this way, Seto: neither of us have been in the happiest of atmospheres today, what with the funeral and weather and all. Our emotions are charged and completely irresponsible at this point of time. When the time comes for you and I to have... make love, I want all of my inhibitions and I want to be completely conscious of my actions and the decisions I'm making," Téa explained. "Plus," she added with a wink, "it would be helpful to be well-rested because I am personally under the impression that we would keep each other busy for quite some time, once we really got started." With that, Téa turned her head back around and settled into her pillow, which happened to actually be Seto's pillow, and therefore filled with a scent so uniquely him that she took in a deep breath before closing her eyes. She could feel Seto's nose rubbing back and forth over the skin between her neck and shoulder and the soft puffs of his breath before he made a reply, resting his head on her shoulder.  
  
"You do realize that with all of these stop-and-go sessions we tend to have, you've driven me to frequent and intense jacking off, right? Téa, my beautiful tempting Téa, you are going to kill me at a ridiculously young age," Seto replied with a kiss on her shoulder. He removed his arm from around Téa's waist and got up from the bed, promptly making his way to his bathroom and closing the door, leaving a hysterical young woman laughing in the bed.  
  
A short while later, Seto emerged from the bathroom looking the same but slightly relaxed and laid down behind a sleeping Téa, making sure to pull the sheets and covers up around them. A gentle hand moved hair away from her slumbering face before moving back to its previous place over her stomach as the other bent beneath his head. As he drifted off to sleep, he heard the last remnants of the rain replaced by the steady beating of two hearts, the very rhythm that time stepped to.

* * *

Startled, Téa broke out of her not-so-distant memories as a cold blast of water from the shower covered her nude form and sent her into shivers, goosebumps covering her soaked skin. Standing with some difficulty, for the cuts and gashes along her body were still quite painful and open, she shut the water off, having rinsed a while before sitting and got out, reaching for a large white towel to dry off with.  
  
"White," she mused silently. "How ironic that I should dry my cuts and damaged body with something that appears to represent purity and innocence? God, what I wouldn't give to go back and be that little girl again. Being lonely would be better than being alone. At least when you're lonely, you know that eventually somebody is going to come back for you." Carefully, ever-so-carefully, Téa dabbed the water from her skin and made her way gingerly through her parents room, careful not to step on any more glass, then downstairs to her own room where it took time to change into loose jeans and a small white t-shirt once she had taken the time to completely bandage and treat her wounds. The gash at her side was particularly painful, where the bullet had nearly missed her, but it was only a flesh wound and she would survive as long as she made sure it didn't get infected. Thinking back on it made her cry again and she crawled into the middle of her bed and squeezed her ragged old teddy bear in her arms, resting her chin on it as her tears fell.  
  
A few brief minutes passed and Téa nearly jumped out of her skin as a blast of thunder exploded from the outside sky and shook her window. The rain followed immediately after, pelting the glass and streets with vicious drops, as if out to seek revenge on the whole world for being doomed to fall to earth. It wasn't long before the lightning also made its presence known as it lit Domino under the curtain of the downpour, crackling with white-hot heat and sharp slivers that flickered and hit the ground at random locations. The storm outside matched the one warring within her and, she thought cynically, at least God had the decency to keep them synchronized enough for her not to be afraid of the wind that howled and bowed small trees over nor the darkness that engulfed everything that entered it.  
  
When her thoughts began to shift around to different and unrelated things, Téa began to calm, bit by bit, organizing her flow of emotions with the images that went with them. First, and perhaps silliest, was the thought of needing to clean up her parents room since it was now a mess. And that bullet-hole in the wall would never do. That room had needed new wallpaper for some time now anyway. Then the angry thought that the gun would have to go as well. It was simply not acceptable to have that in the house: someone could get hurt. Arashi and Kiri would need to be picked up from summer camp in a few days. Téa hoped they had remembered to pack sunscreen. It was far too easy to burn at the lake.  
  
Every single one of Téa's rational ideas was immediately replaced by those that were horribly irrational or inconsequential. They didn't matter and wouldn't affect the state that she was in at the moment, but they were exactly what she needed to focus on. To move away from the hysteria boiling under the surface of her skin, having nearly killed herself, she had to look to things that seemed not to matter in order to gain her wits back, stand her ground against the tears that threatened to keep coming. But no matter what she thought about, she just couldn't get... him... out of her mind. He stood in the doorway of her parents room as she put new wallpaper up; he held the lid of the box she sealed and gave to the police for them to use, in order to get it away from her; he followed her in a separate car up to the camp in order to say hello to her sisters as she went to pick them up.  
  
Seto Kaiba.  
  
That insufferable bastard that she could not stop loving. That stubborn, cruel, ridiculously smart and unbearably beautiful man. When she looked across her room in the mirror, it was not her eyes that she saw, but his. When she closed her eyes, his blue gaze was there too. His warmth was in the teddy bear she held, in the pajamas she saw lying on the floor. His words whispered to her through the whirrings of the fan, the ticking of her dresser clock, the pit-pats of rain on her window, the booming crescendo of the thunder as it beat like a heart in the sky. Liquid diamonds gathered in the corners of her eyes as she picked up the small strip of pictures that she had taken with him in the cramped little picture booth that had been in the pizza parlor the night of their first date. A picture of her smiling and him scowling as he complained about the small seat. A picture of him getting more comfortable as Téa winked at the camera and turned on his lap. A picture of her lips at his temple and his beautiful eyes wide with surprise. Then another picture where he and Téa were bent out of the picture. The last picture showed a smug Seto with his trademark grin as he stared at a thoroughly kissed Téa who looked like she had taken a tumble in a dryer, her mouth shaped into a crooked smile as she stared doe-eyed at the camera.  
  
"I'll never stop loving you," Téa whispered, running two fingers over Seto's face, a face that smiled and showed no care in the world. Hardly the face she had last seen at their last encounter. That had been an angry and demanding face, one that she couldn't meet, one that she hadn't recognized. A sudden vision of her parents bloomed before her eyes and she sniffled as she remembered one of the more vicious fights that her parents had had when she was younger.  
  
Her mother had gone shopping again and maxed out her card. Money may not have been an object when it came to Téa's family, but her father didn't like wastefulness or the purchase of trinkets that would never be actually useful. Kevin Hurikama Gardner had looked murderous when he found out that Tamoya had not only overspent on one credit card, but three in a single day. It had been the only time they had fought that he had purposefully sent Téa and her sisters to their rooms. Of course, that hadn't kept the inquisitive Téa from hearing every word or peeking out of her door. To say the very least, it had been such an awful fight that threats of divorce had popped up in the conversation, separation, and other means of inflicting pain on the other individual. Her father had left that night, refusing to sleep in the same house with Téa's mother and she had sat fearfully in her room the whole night, wondering if he would come back.  
  
Three days later, he did come back, his arms laden with a dozen red roses for Arashi and Kiri, two dozen for Tamoya, and three dozen white roses for Téa. Having been only twelve at the time and dreadfully attached to her father, Téa had called Harry and told him what happened and her godfather had gotten on the case quickly, having to search each hotel in the city and those on the outskirts of Domino before finally tracking him down and letting Kevin know that his little girl was worried. Being dreadfully attached to Téa, though no father should ever love one child more than another, Kevin Hurikama immediately went back home, stopping first at his favorite florists and buying out the entire stock of roses. Téa's mother had been green with envy that her daughter had received more flowers than she had, but Kevin had apparently made it up to her in different ways. Eventually, everything she had bought that had maxed the credit cards out were returned and Kevin and Tamoya had gone on a lengthy second honeymoon.  
  
It was her father's actions however that struck a chord deep within Téa. To Téa, it had always seemed like her father had loved her mother more than her mother loved her father, yet he didn't seem to care, as long as he had someone to love. There had been other arguments of course but that one in particular touched Téa because while it had been her father to walk out, it had also been him to walk back, taking the first step to mending the relationship that had torn slightly. The resemblance was uncanny. Téa had been the one to walk out on Kaiba but the words he had said in his anger as she left had made her feel like he had left her alone in the world without even the flame of a match to light her way. All this time she had been waiting for a total and complete apology from him, something that said he was wrong and she was right. But it didn't work that way. Relationships give just as much as they take and Téa was right, but she was also wrong, just like Seto was right and wrong. Téa had walked out of his office that day, crying and wounded and dead inside, but it had still been her who walked away from them.  
  
"Thank you, Daddy." Téa let her teddy bear fall from her arms as she stood and took a pair of socks from her dresser and tennis shoes from her closet, lacing them up and grabbing her keys as she left the house and got into her truck, grabbing a light hooded sweatshirt on her way out. Once the garage door had lifted, the rain came rushing in, immediately covering the warm and dry concrete with angry droplets that spread everywhere, under and into cabinets, pelting objects sitting harmlessly on the shelves. Téa reached to turn the heater on as well as the headlights and backed out carefully, keeping a wary eye on the twin streams that had formed against the slopes of the sidewalks on either side of the street. When the garage door had closed, Téa's foot hit the accelerator, as much as she dared anyway, and she quickly made her way out of her neighborhood directing the vehicle so that she could get to the other side of town the quickest way possible.  
  
However, while the weather matched her emotions, fate had no pity for her whatsoever and Téa found herself going in circles as she found street after street closed off due to heavy flooding. Impatient, she flicked the radio and heard the frantic cries of a reporter whose voice was so muted by the torrential rain and howling wind that Téa had to turn the volume nearly all the way to maximum before she could hear his actual words. Unfortunately, he kept cutting out.  
  
"It is amazing out... folks. You won't be seeing a... this bad for... long while so get... of it. It's definitely not hard. Our chief meteorologist... calling this phenomenon... Hundred Years' Flood... so massive. Domino... in over seventy-six years according to..." And then static filled the waves, deafening Téa as she drove. She turned the volume down as quickly as she could and tried other stations with the same result and finally turned it off. Shaking her head, Téa kept a keen eye on the roads for crazy drivers, as people are apt to become when confronted with rare weather on the streets and was glad she had done so.  
  
Approaching a green light, Téa proceeded on through at nearly ten miles per hour under the speed limit in order to drive safely when a small car sped through the intersection, tried to put on its brakes, and slid the rest of the way through, missing Téa's truck by scant centimeters. It ended up plowing into a telephone pole and coming to a stop there. Téa thought about stopping but when she saw a shaky driver emerge shakily from the car, she continued on, not wanting to add herself to the accident count which she could tell was mounting by the amount of cars she passed that had pulled off to the side of the road, steaming or crushed. But nothing would stop her. She _had_ to get there. To him. To apologize or die trying.

* * *

"You CAN NOT treat people like that!" Téa yelled as she followed a raging Seto into his office. Seto whirled on her, breathing hard, and stared down at her before moving behind her and slamming the double doors. When he had thrown himself down into his high-back leather chair at his desk, he steepled his fingers together and gave her a cold look.  
  
"And you can't challenge my authority in front of employees like that. First of all, it teaches them to not be as respectful to superiors, and second..."  
  
"Second of all," Téa interrupted, slamming her hands down on the desk in front of him, "they don't completely and utterly fear you so damn much. Do you have any idea how frightened people are of you?" Kaiba stood menacingly and darkness shrouded his features.  
  
"I have been running this company four more than eight years now and it has become the most powerful corporation in the entire world. Are you, little Téa Hurikama Gardner, trying to tell _me_ how to run my company? You are sorely mistaken if you are. Even your father was not foolish enough to challenge my authority!"  
  
"Am I to always be compared to him, then?" Téa shot back, tears gleaming in her eyes.  
  
"If your effort continues to be this pathetic and weak-minded in the future? Yes," Seto hisses, moving from behind his desk to stand in front of his massive windows, clenching his hands behind his back so that they turned white.  
  
"So, is that what you think I am? Weak-minded? Pathetic?" Téa snarled.  
  
"Don't ask questions to which you already know the answer." Kaiba turned to stare at her from out of the corner of his eye. "You have a poor grasp on business and the procedures and ethics that must or must not be followed. Top companies do not reach the top without a little ruthlessness or brutally hard work. Yes, I push. I push everyone around me because I know their limits and when they're not giving me their full potential. And when they reach their limit, I give them a new one to achieve. Those that continue to work hard are rewarded and those that aren't are fired. I only want the very best and so only the very best work for me. Nobody can ever be perfect, but there will always be something to improve upon. Unfortunately, you've already reached your sad little limit and I'm not impressed."  
  
"I am not here to impress you!" Téa whispered viciously. Seto snorted.  
  
"So I noticed." With his words, Téa felt like she had been slapped and thrown against a wall. Her heart jumped into her throat and she couldn't swallow. Perhaps she didn't know Kaiba as well as she thought she did. Was that possible? Could he be more different from her than she first believed? "In fact," Kaiba interrupted her thoughts, "I've noticed that your standards have dropped. School ended several weeks ago and you used to be running neck-and-neck with me but that ridiculous project of yours dropped your average considerably, didn't it? Skating by with a barely passing grade is hardly a sign of an up-and-coming corporate owner." Seto had hit her where it really hurt.  
  
"I couldn't get the program to work," Téa said under her breath but Seto had obviously heard it and gave a harsh, barking laugh.  
  
"You've apparently never heard of the phrase 'If at first you don't succeed, try, try again'. One attempt to get a program working never anyone anywhere," he sneered.  
  
"Pardon me for having my life torn to shreds, Mister High and Mighty! Or have you forgotten that I witnessed the deaths of my parents this year, was then expected to fully care for my sisters, run a mega-corporation, and attend the rest of school? You have no damn idea how long and hard I worked on that project. Do you even know what it was about, or does your mind have room for nothing but gaming and virtual reality? It was a program that would enable poorer families to have both a phone line and internet capabilities on the same line," Téa bit back, stalking over to Kaiba so that she stood in front of his mocking form.  
  
"Been there done that sweetheart. Ever heard of DSL? Or a T-1 line?" Téa rolled her eyes.  
  
"Contrary to what you believe, I'm not a complete moron. I'm talking about a phone line with those two features being used simultaneously!" Kaiba seemed taken aback, but Téa blazed on. "Having grown up in this age of technology, I've seen too many friends struggle with their classes and homework and whatever the hell else because their family couldn't afford a second line or couldn't sacrifice the use of the phone line for internet use. But my program wouldn't work. Not because I didn't try or work ridiculously hard on it, but because I couldn't find out where the... A single, regular phone line has the capability of housing both services simultaneously but there is a wire, a single wire, that is configured in such a way that unless its path is rerouted or completely removed, it won't allow the two uses of the line.  
  
"I'm not bloody done so shut your mouth!" Téa shouted as Seto opened his mouth to say something. "I'm tired of you treating me this way. Every time there is a meeting or the plans for a new product are being drawn up, you either don't include me or push me so far away that I don't even know what's happening. I may not be completely business-savvy, but I know when someone is trying to control me. You think that because KaibaCorp is so big and you're so powerful and have endured so many hardships that you have the right to be rough on other people. Well I've got news for you Seto Kaiba! Other people may put up with your shit, but I sure as hell won't. I've gone through just as much as you have, though in different manners, and when you keep me from learning what I need to survive in this real business world is just what I think your stepfather Gozaburo would have done!" Kaiba stumbled backwards and knocked his chair over, as if he had been bludgeoned. "Yes, you're that brutal. I've seen the way you speak to people while you're in this building, in your so-called 'indestructible mode' but you're missing a crucial, crucial detail. People are more willing to work and work harder under desirable conditions. When you put the whip to them and treat them like dogs, they become so afraid that all that they can do from that point on is obey orders. The ingenuity and imagination and innovation is gone and all you're left with are drones who are too afraid to quit because they're supporting families.  
  
"I have a family. I **_had_** a family. I considered you a part of it. But I can't love someone who can treat others and me this way. You're a mean, foul-spirited bully who's used to getting his way and trampling on people in order to do it. There's no love or room for it in your heart because all there is in the place of your heart is a black hole that will forever suck emotions and caring into the swallowing darkness. You don't even have ice for a heart because ice can be melted and molded and warmed. No, just a black pit that takes joy in other peoples' pain." Téa was breathless and too far gone to stop now, no matter what was said. The tears she could faintly see at the corners of Seto's eyes did not move her.  
  
"No love? No love? Then what did we have? I'll be damned if it was only a short period of infatuation or a school crush. What we have... We've gone through so much together! Can you deny the way your heart clenches when we have to part ways? The way you smile when I hug my brother and laugh with him? If I have a black hole for a heart, then why do I feel so much pain? You're not the only one who hurts, Téa," Seto said softly as he hung his head and turned to rest his forehead against the glass. Téa's usually vibrant eyes were dull and cold as she took in the scene before her, as she watched several drops fall from Kaiba's eyes to the carpet.  
  
"Yes, I am the only one who hurts," her monotone voice told him. She turned on her heel and walked briskly to the door and stopped only briefly when she heard Seto's voice.  
  
"Where are you going?" Seto's voice asked, pleading.  
  
"I'm leaving," she said in such a way that Seto would know she didn't mean just the building. "You had your chance. Too bad you blew it. Have fun running your damn company. I'm sure it'll bring you more joy than this weak- minded and pathetic little girl ever did." Her cold hands reached out and twisted the knob that opened the door and she walked through, still hearing Seto's cries as he tried to stop her and bring her back. He wanted to talk, to explain and apologize and please, couldn't she just listen and understand? His words of desperation fell on deaf ears. Téa closed the doors behind her without turning around and left the building.

* * *

Finally she had made it out of town and was making her way down the solitary and well-kept road that led to the Kaiba Mansion but tears that blurred her vision threatened to force Téa to pull her truck off the road. She shook her head and the tears smeared across her cheeks and under her nose, down onto her lips and she was determined to get to him. Her voice became a mantra as she apologized to him, to Seto, under her breath, praying that he would hear her cries though she had ignored his. Just ahead were the tall and bright lights that marked the entrance of the Kaiba estate, shining even through the darkness of the rain: beacons of hope for Téa's downtrodden soul. Turning carefully into the lengthy driveway, it was only moments before Téa's truck had gone through the loop that surrounded the thoughtful statue of Athena and the fountain she stood in and parked, breathing heavily for a few moments with the engine turned off. Even with her heart beating as loud as it was, the incessant pounding of the rain outmatched it and thunder shook the entire truck, creating an echoing cacophony in the cab of the truck.  
  
With a swallow and the quick zipping of her thin hooded sweater, Téa threw on the hood and jumped from the truck, running for the massive front doors through the unceasing rain. By the time she had reached the doors she was already soaked to the bone and numb with cold and could hardly push the button to ring the doorbell and so resorted to banging on the door with her fists instead, calling for Seto or Mokuba to open up. When she heard the click of a lock, Téa relented her steady beating on the door and looked down at a bewildered Mokuba who held the door open for her.  
  
"Tea?" His voice was beyond puzzled and his face mirrored his thoughts but it seemed to dawn on him how bad the storm was and quickly ushered Téa inside, instructing her not to move an inch until he had retrieved a towel for her. And so she stood, shivering, in the doorway of the Kaiba Mansion, looking around blankly and rubbing her wet arms with equally wet hands. The young boy returned moments later with an overly- large towel in hand which he handed to a grateful Téa who immediately wrapped it around herself as she shivered.  
  
"What in the world are you doing here?" he asked, flinging himself over the back of a couch to look at her from behind the cushions. "That storm out there's pretty brutal."  
  
"Where's Seto?" Téa gasped, still shivering. Mokuba's eyes immediately lost their warmth and the light within died, his face contorting into a sad shape as he sank in his seat. "Mokuba, where's Seto?" Téa's voice was more frantic. Mokuba worshiped his older brother and usually any mere mention of his name would make the kid smile so this reaction meant something was wrong. Mokuba mumbled something under his breath and Téa went to kneel in front of him at the couch to hear him better.  
  
"In his study." The answer was so simple but something laid beneath his words that caused him such sorrow. "He's always in his study. Drinking. Tonight he's woken up and passed out twice. He cries a lot too. Doesn't even talk to me anymore. It's like he's not alive." Mokuba began to cry and Téa hugged him to her through the towel, trying not to get him wet, and comforted him as best she could.  
  
"Hush. Hush. It'll be okay. I'm gonna go up there and talk to him, okay? Everything's gonna be alright. We're gonna get your brother back to being that cute, bossy, card-playin' fool as soon as possible, okay?" Téa asked, giving Mokuba a feeble smile. The boy made a face.  
  
"My brother is not cute." Téa laughed.  
  
"Well, he is to me. Is that okay with you?"  
  
"Definitely!" Mokuba gave her a thumbs-up as Téa stood and walked to the stairs, taking a deep breath before beginning the two-level trek to Seto Kaiba's private study. The third floor was completely dark except for a small lamp that gave off a faded orange light next to the slightly open door of Kaiba's study. Téa narrowed her eyes but continued onward, clutching the towel close to her. Slowly, she pushed the door open and stepped inside, nearly falling flat on her back when her foot slipped on a bottle.  
  
"What the... Oh, Seto, no." Téa's throat closed up on itself but she had no more tears left to shed. The sight she saw was enough to almost bring her to her knees and gasp in shock. Bottles, half-filled, empty, full, cracked, and broken were strewn all over the room along with glasses that seemed to have the same look to them. And there, laying all over the desk, was the young CEO himself, half falling out of his chair with his face lying on papers of all kinds. Téa approached him, quietly, and knelt next to him on her knees, her face sad and remorseful. She reached out and moved some of the hair away from his face, running a thumb over his brow and leaning forward, but she caught the awful smell of hard liquor and had to turn her face away. Her hand jerked away and Kaiba muttered in his sleep. It was no full sentence but she was quite sure she had heard her name and several slurred emotions. Téa had to wake him up.  
  
"Seto. Seto please wake up. It's me... Téa." Again, he stirred in his sleep but did not wake up. Instead, he copied what she had said, in a far more slurred fashion and drifted back into oblivion. Téa shook her head. "This'll never work. Even if I get you to wake up, you're so intoxicated that you won't even know what I'm saying, let alone remember it," she sighed. Pushing off her knees to stand, she made her way back to the door and went back downstairs where she found Mokuba looking up at her expectantly. She shook her head at him and his face fell. "Seto is totally out of it. Even if I could wake him up, it wouldn't do any good to talk to him. But we're still gonna do some good for him and I'm going to need your help, okay?"  
  
"You need my help?" Mokuba asked, some of the light coming back into his eyes. "I can really help?"  
  
"Sure you can. Come on, you and I have some things to do," Téa said as she held her hand out for Mokuba to take. The black-haired youth stood and happily took her hand as Téa led them up the stairs and explained what they were going to do.

* * *

Seto startled awake and shot up in bed, gave an awful groan and sank back down, cradling his head in his arms as he turned on his side, sinking into his bed. Wincing, he opened his eyes once more and looked puzzledly at himself and where he was. He could have sworn that he had fallen asleep in his study. Further examination of himself made him question how the hell he had gotten into a clean set of pajamas that did not reek of alcohol as he knew the clothes he had been wearing last night had. After all, he hadn't taken a shower for at least two days and hadn't changed clothes either, having been suffering from a particularly painful remembrance of being with Téa when he stumbled upon several sets of photographs in his desk. That was when the heavy drinking had started, though it certainly hadn't been the first time.  
  
Ever since Téa had walked out on his life, he had slowly been trying everything possible to get his mind off of her. He dove into his work, introduced a complete new line of products. That didn't work. He tried sports of any and all kinds as well as working out every chance he got. That didn't work either. International trips. Landscaping. Having another pool built. Attending galas and charity balls. None of them could get that beautiful girl out of his head. And then he found a bottle of vintage scotch in a cabinet in his study a business associate had given him as an eighteenth birthday present. And he drank the whole bottle in the course of several hours. It had been hell the next day but it had made Téa fall out of focus for a short time and it was the only thing that had proven to do so, so far.  
  
Being Seto Kaiba meant that he could get anything he wanted, no matter what age he was and after consuming the bottle of scotch, he promptly ordered for several large cases of assorted alcohol, all of fine vintages, mostly wines, some whiskey and even a bottle of vodka, and all very expensive. But as long as they made him forget the pain he felt about no longer having Téa in his life, if only for a few short hours at a time, he was more than willing to fork up the cash. The question still remained though: how did he get into a clean pair of pajamas and his bed? He took a deep breath then smelled his arm, an odd sort of behavior if ever any saw, but not for Seto when he discovered that he was also freshly bathed and clean. The only remnant of the alcohol was the slight flavor in his mouth.  
  
His canopy bed was half closed off on one side but Kaiba didn't care and carefully crawled out of bed, his head pounding even though no detectable light was anywhere near him. On a chair near the bed he found his slippers and a clean robe and slipped both on before trudging out of his bedroom, down the hall to his study. He was surprised to see it completely clean of all bottles and glasses and smelling faintly like lemon cleaner. His eyes went wide when Mokuba stood from a corner holding a trash can. His eyes lit up and the boy dropped the trash can.  
  
"Big brother!" Mokuba launched himself at the elder Kaiba and hugged his waist tight. "Feeling better, huh?" he asked cheerfully, a bright smile on his face. Seto knelt down and gave a ginger smile.  
  
"Yeah," he said softly. "My head hurts a bit but other than that, I'm doing fine. Did you do all of this?" he asked. Mokuba nodded. "You cleaned my office, got me to my bed, somehow bathed me, and put pajamas on me?" Seto asked amazedly. Mokuba nodded again.  
  
"I couldn't have done it by myself though. Téa helped a lot. In fact, it was her idea!" Mokuba picked up his trash can, still smiling, and walked out of the study down the stairs to dispose of the last of the waste. For a few dazed seconds, Seto didn't believe his ears and stood stock-still before turning on his heel and following the younger Kaiba, taking a hold of his shoulder. He knelt down again and looked Mokuba straight in the face.  
  
"What do you mean it was Téa's idea?" he asked firmly. Mokuba looked at Seto as though he was silly.  
  
"Well, she was over last night in that awful storm and she was gonna talk to you but when she saw you laying all over your desk passed out she said that we were gonna help you out. So we got you up and dragged you to your bathroom and Téa told me to wash you in the bath she had gotten ready and when I was done, she tried her best to help me get you dressed," Mokuba laughed. "She made me put your boxers on though while she looked at the wall." Seto blushed. "Then she helped me put your pajamas on and get you settled in bed. After that, the both of us went in your study and took all of your alcohol away, threw away the bottles and cups, straightened everything up and then cleaned everything from floor to ceiling. Téa told me that you'd like it."  
  
"And then she left?" Seto asked, his face sad. Mokuba gave him another weird look.  
  
"No. When we were done cleaning - God it took **_forever_** Seto! You had so much crap in there - Téa told me to go to bed and she went and sat by your bed all night. When I woke up this morning she was asleep so I went to go and double-check your study and then you came in. Didn't you see her?" Seto stood abruptly, not answering his little brother and rushed back up the stairs despite the incredible pounding of his head. Breathing hard, he stopped in his doorway trying to catch his breath and saw Téa, sleeping in his oversized armchair through the thin material of his bed drapes. How could he have missed her before? She wasn't two feet from where he had been lying. Quietly approaching her, fearing she was an apparition, he walked around his bed and pulled the curtain back so that he could sit on the edge of his bed and stare at her.  
  
Her hair was tossed back in a messy ponytail and her clothes rumpled, a blanket wrapped around her body. Her chest rose and fell evenly and Seto could hear the sound of her breathing.  
  
"My God, you're real," he whispered, leaning forward and moving his fingers over the back of her hand, laying in her lap. Téa's eyes shot open and she looked slightly out of sorts for the briefest of moments before settling her gaze on Seto, her mouth falling open slightly. A tear leaked out of the corner of her eye and she watched as Seto's hand seemed to rise and brush it away in slow motion before he moved off of the bed and leaned forward, his knees resting on the floor as he hugged her around her waist, blanket and all. Stunned for a few minutes, Téa couldn't even move, but then commanded her arms to move so that she could hold Seto, running her fingers through his hair and holding his neck as he nuzzled her stomach like a child. Seto looked up at her, eyes misty and Téa gave a breathy cry.  
  
"I'm so sorry Seto. I'm so sorry. Forgive me, oh please forgive me, I'm so sorry!" she cried to him. "Those words I said, I honestly don't know... I just know that I didn't mean them. I love you. God, forgive me Seto," Téa sobbed as her head bent and shook, eyes shut and unwilling to look at him. Seto stood and Téa opened her eyes in panic, thinking that he was leaving her as she had left him but found him reaching down to pick her up into his arms, then crawling onto the bed and sitting in the center, simply holding her to him. He buried his head into her shoulder and cried, rocking back and forth, his arms as tight as metal bands but all the more comforting to Téa because they were.  
  
"No," Seto whispered. "No, no, no you were right. Some of your words were right. But I'll be damned if I want to dwell on that right now. All I know is that you're here and you love me and I'll never let you go again, not as long as I'm alive. I can't live without you. I know that now. Téa, if anyone needs to be forgiven, it's me. I've been a fool not apologizing to you and for saying those awful, awful, unforgivable words to you. I don't deserve you and I don't know why you're here, but God, I love you and I'm not letting you go again. I swear it," he whispered into her shoulder, tears soaking her shoulder. He turned his face and kissed her neck and looked up, eyes red-rimmed and wet but utterly sincere. Téa took his face in her hands and kissed him gently, so painfully sweet that both of them cried into it.  
  
"You're forgiven. I can't hold anything against you, not now, not when... not after I saw you last night. It broke my heart to see you like that Seto. I want you to know you broke my heart and I love you. Don't ever be so stupid to do something like that again. I could have lost to that damn alcohol," Téa cried, pressing her lips to his temples and forehead and eyes, her hands not letting go of his face. She looked at him to see him smiling through his tears at her.  
  
"And you are washed of your sins against me as well," he said quietly, returning the gentle kisses on her brow and temples and eyes. "Is there any way... I mean, do we have to start over again? Or can we, do you think we can go back to where we were before this whole... thing?" Seto asked for lack of a better word.  
  
"Whatever you want, just don't leave me alone again," Téa pleaded leaning her forehead back against Seto's. His arms moved down slightly, closer to her waist, and he hugged her tight to him, startled when she gave a painful gasp. He sat back a bit, taking in her wincing face and then lifted the hem of her shirt to find a large bandage wrapped around her middle, part of it soaked with blood. Téa began to cry again.  
  
"Tea, what's this?" Seto's voice was tinged with fear and he looked at her with wide eyes. "How did this happen?" Rather than answering, Téa fell into his arms sobbing dreadfully and rubbing her face in his neck. Through her mumbled words Seto heard, "dead without you", "you were why I survived", and some other words that faded away when he heard, "... tried to kill myself." He began crying again and laid down, Téa on top of him, and he held her, pulling her up to rest at his side. He wanted to ask why, but he knew why. It was the same reason he had been drinking and driving himself crazy; the very same reason he had also contemplated suicide.

* * *

It was a long time before both of them settled down and were breathing easy, able to carry on conversations without shaking or crying, though they refused to let go of each other. Frequent kisses to the forehead were given and taken and Téa had eventually taken a shower, cleaned her wound with Seto's help, and once again put on a pair of his pajamas. By the time they had discussed all that they possibly could, night had once again fallen. As everyone knows, crying is a frightfully draining activity and a short while later, both Téa and Seto found themselves exhausted and on the brink of a rather deep sleep when Mokuba poked his head through the door.  
  
"Could I... I mean, would you mind if I..." he trailed off, digging his toes into the carpet, face eager but hesitant. Téa sat up and so did Seto.  
  
"What do you need, hun?" Téa asked, tilting her head slightly. Emboldened by the endearment, Mokuba took a breath and held his head up.  
  
"Could I sleep between you two?" His hesitance returned when Téa and Seto looked at each other and dissipated when Téa held her arms out to him. He ran to the two and gave them each hugs, careful of Téa as Seto had instructed him, and crawled beneath the covers. He fell asleep almost as soon as his head hit the pillow and Téa and Seto looked at each other over the top of his head as they too settled in with soft smiles, smiles of acceptance, understanding, and new beginnings before they too drifted off. It was then that the rain lessened, then relented completely and the clouds were blown away by the gentle but firm wind, allowing a full sky of stars to light the heavens and the dreams of all below them.

* * *

End. Ta-freakin'-da! Took me long enough. I would appreciate it more than usual if everyone who read this chapter left a review. I was particularly proud of the way it turned out and since I adore everyone's feedback, more of it would be equally loved!   
  
GROUP GROUP GROUP GROUP GROUP GROUP GROUP GROUP GROUP

I now have a Yahoo! group that all of you can join to discuss my fiction, write and post your own, or simply gab with other people. If you're interested, check out my profile since fanfiction.net doesn't allow direct linking. It will also be a place where you can read my stuff when fanfiction.net is down.  
  
I'm sorry but after writing that monster-chapter, I have opted not to do replies to the reviewers. However, I am still immensely grateful to each and every one of you who took the time out of your busy schedules to do so. This chapter is dedicated to you guys!

Atlantis


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